Dembawa Tempita Viharaya

Dembawa Tempita Viharaya (Sinhala: දැඹව ටැම්පිට විහාරය) is a Buddhist temple situated in Dembawa village in Matale District, Sri Lanka. History As per the folklore mentioned in Matale Viharavamsa , the Tempita Viharaya of this temple was constructed in 1730 by the families of Pilimatalawe and Nugapola with the guidance of a Buddhist monk named Varavala Thera (Silva & Chandrasekara, 2021). Varavala Thera is believed to be a descendant of the lineage of Heratgama Ratanapala who belonged to the Nilagama Sittara Paramparawa , a guild of artists famous for their paintings at Dambulla and Degaldoruwa Viharas (Silva & Chandrasekara, 2021). Tempita Viharaya Tempita Viharas were a popular aspect of many Buddhist temples during the Kandyan Period . These structures were usually built on a wooden platform resting on bare stone pillars or stumps which are about 1-4 feet tall. The roof is generally made of timber and held by wooden stumps. The walls are usually made of wattle and daub and they fo…