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Kolambagama Tempita Shrine |
Kolambagama Miyugunarama Viharaya (Sinhala: කොළඹගම මියුගුණාරාම විහාරය), is a Buddhist temple situated in Kolambagama village near Rambawewa in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka.
History
According to tradition, the Tempita structure (Temple on Pillars) on the premises of Kolambagama Viharaya was built during the Kandyan Period by the villagres (Godakumbura, 1968; Seneviratna & Polk, 1992).
Tempita Vihara
Tempita Viharawere 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 structures 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).
Kolambagama Tempita Shrine
The Tempita structure of Kolambagama Viharaya is not balanced on pillars but placed on large chunks of granite kept on the expansive rock outcrop at the premises (Godakumbura, 1968). The large structure which encloses the this building is believed to have been built later for sheltering the inner shrine and the space between them is sufficient for a man to pass through (Godakumbura, 1968). The large hall or the antechamber attached in front also seems to be a later addition (Godakumbura, 1968).
In the shrine room are three Buddha statues and three figures of gods. The main Buddha statue is in seated position while the other two are in standing posture. On the outside of the shrine, either side of the entrance is a janitor. On its walls and on the wooden ceiling are paintings of the Kandyan Period (Godakumbura, 1968). Some notable carvings depicting the figures of wrestlers are found on the pillars of this structure (Deraniyagala, 1942)
A Protected Site
The ancient Tampita image house situated within the boundary of Miyugunarama Viharaya in Kolambagama village in the Katupotha Divisional Secretary’s Division, is an archaeological protected monument, declared by a government notifications published on 19 May 1967.
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References
Books, Government Gazette Notifications, Journal Articles
1) Deraniyagala, P.E.P., 1942. Sinhala Weapons and Armor. The Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland, 35(95), pp.97-142.
2) Godakumbura, C.E., 1968. Administrative Report of the Archaeological Commissioner for the Financial Year 1965-66. Part IV: Education, Scienece and Art (G). p.92.
3) Seneviratna, A. and Polk, B., 1992. Buddhist monastic architecture in Sri Lanka: the woodland shrines. Abhinav Publications. pp.118-119.
4) The Government Gazette notification. No: 14749. 19 May 1967.
5) Wijayawardhana, K., 2010. Sri Lankawe Tampita Vihara (In Sinhala). Dayawansa Jayakody & Company. Colombo. ISBN: 978-955-551-752-2. p.12.
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Attribution
To Whom
LankaPradeepa.com extends its gratitude to Mr Navod Hemal for providing the necessary photographs required for this article. All the photos are published here with the permission of the author.
