Udasgiriya Tempita Viharaya

Udasgiriya Tempita Viharaya (Sinhala: උඩස්ගිරිය ටැම්පිට විහාරය) is a Buddhist temple situated in Udasgiriya village in Matale District, Sri Lanka. History The Tempita Viharaya of this temple is unique as it has been created by converting an Atuwa (a granary) into an image house (Silva & Chandrasekara, 2021). The folklore says that a headman named Hitibandara created this temple when a sacred relic that had been hidden inside the granary for his family's worship became disclosed to the public (Silva & Chandrasekara, 2021). He converted the granary into an image house overnight by erecting a roof over it before any royal inquiry (Silva & Chandrasekara, 2021). Tempita Viharaya Tempita Viharas were popular in 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 w…