Thinapitiya Tempita Viharaya (Sinhala: මාදම්පේ තිණපිටිය ටැම්පිට විහාරය) is a Buddhist temple in Puttalam District, Sri Lanka. It is situated at the verge of Maha Wewa (or Kudupiti Tank) near Madampe town.
History
The Tempita Viharaya of Thinapitiya temple is considered a monument of archaeological value. As mentioned above the entrance door, it has been built or renovated on 15 Binara 2466 (15 September 1922).
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 wattle and daub and form the main enclosed shrine room containing Buddhist sculptures and murals in the Kandyan style. Some Tempita Viharas have narrow verandas and ambulatories circulating the main enclosed space. The construction of these buildings started in the 17th century and lasted until the end of the 19th century (Wijayawardhana, 2010).
Thinapitiya Tempita Viharaya
The Tempita Viharaya of Thinapitiya temple has been supported by 20 short stone pillars. The main statue of the Buddha in the shrine room is flanked by the paintings of Buddha’s two chief disciples, Arahat Sariputta (left) and Arahat Moggallana (right). On the left of the Buddha statue is the image of God Iyyanayaka and on the right, the image of God Taniwelle Devata Bandara. The inner walls and the ceiling of the shrine room are adorned with Kandyan style murals depicting Buddhist themes.
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Attribution
1) LankaPradeepa.com extends its gratitude to Lalith Kekulthotuwage for providing the necessary photographs required for this article. All the photos are published here with the permission of the author.
References
1) Wijayawardhana, K., 2010. Sri Lankawe Tampita Vihara (In Sinhala). Dayawansa Jayakody & Company. Colombo. ISBN: 978-955-551-752-2. pp.12,278-286.
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This page was last updated on 20 October 2023