Dorabawila Sri Sugatharamaya Tampita Viharaya (දොරබාවිල ශ්‍රී සුගතාරාම ටැම්පිට විහාරය)

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The high platform Tampita Viharaya at Sri Sugatharamaya Rajamaha Viharaya
Image courtesy of Dr. Ashan Geeganage

Lying amidst rows of coconut groves close to the Nugawela junction on the Chilaw Wariyapola Road lies Dorabawila Sri Sugatharamaya Rajamaha Viharaya.

In the temple, you will find one of the most unusual Tampita Viharayas in the country. Most Tampita Viharayas are built on platforms sitting on 2-3 feet high rock pillars. But this image house lies on top of 8 granite pillars 5’6″ feet high from the floor. The temple structure is built on a 22’3″ x 17’10” strong granite foundation with a height of 2’4″ feet. The image house is 10 feet 10 inches long and 6 feet 8 inches tall up to the ceiling. Doctor Charles Godakumbura who was the Commissioner of Archaeology in Ceylon from 1956 to 1967 reported that two Attani pillars belonging to the 9th century had also been used as pillars for this tampita viharaya indicating that the history of this temple goes back at least to the 9th century.

There is a wooden staircase to climb to the image house. A narrow circumambulating path is built around the image house. Two guardian deities stand at the side of the main entrance. There is a statue of a seated Buddha statue flanked by 4 standing Buddha statues that can be seen inside the chamber. Paintings of Sariyuth and Mugalan Maha Theros are drawn on the walls beside the main seated statue.

Attani Pillar Inscriptions of Dorabawila Sri Sugatharamaya Tampita Viharaya

It is said that the Attani Pillars along with some of the other pillars have been transported from Panduwasnuwara as pillars for the Tampita Viharaya. It was the normal practice for Tampita Vihara structures to use the stone pillars of ancient buildings lying close by as their base (Ranawella, 2004).

The vase-shaped capitals of these Attani Pillars have been chiselled out and prepared to serve as tenons to hold the huge wooden beams of the Tampita Vihara floor.

The pillar 1 has inscriptions on all four sides of the pillar. On the 4th side of the pillar, the text is followed by a carving of a sickle, a watapatha (monk’s fan), a crow and a dog. This decree is dated to the 4th year of the King Abha Salamevan. This inscription was read by Godakumbura and published in 1963.

The purpose of the edict is to proclaim the fixing of ‘boundary stones’ for certain lands set apart for the benefit of a hospital built in the ‘ inner city’ (of Anuradhapura) by King Kasub (Pali: Kassapa), the son of the Twice Anointed Queen and to decree immunities in respect of these lands. Based on other evidence, both King Abha Salamevan and King Kasub were King Kassapa IV who reigned in the 9th century (Godakumbura, 1963).

Pillar 2 has inscriptions on 3 sides and the 4th side, a sun, moon, crow and a dog are carved. This pillar inscription was read by Ranawella and published in 2004.

This is decree of to register a grant of land and immunities by the state to a senior physician named Punalna. The decree has been made in the first regnal year of the king Abha Salamevan and had been issued by Mahapa called Uda. In additional to recording granting of the land, the decree prohibits government officials from entering to appropriate carts and buffaloes, and Perenattu officers in charge of domesticated elephants. It also prohibits capturing criminals who enter this land after committing theaft or murder, this making this land another one of state declared human santuaries by king Abha Salamevan (Ranawella, 2004).

Ranwella believes the king Abha Salamevan described in this pillar inscription to be king Dappula IV as in the Ranawa Andiyagala Pillar Inscription.

The high platform Tampita Viharaya at Kadawalagedara Sri Sugatharamaya Rajamaha Viharaya

The carved pillars of Tampita Viharaya at Kadawalagedara Sri Sugatharamaya Rajamaha Viharaya

Inside the Tampita Viharaya at Kadawalagedara Sri Sugatharamaya Rajamaha Viharaya

References

Godakumbura, C.E. (1963) ‘TWO PILLAR INSCRIPTIONS FROM DORABAWILA (DORABA VILA)’, in Epigraphia Zeylanica : Being Lithic and Other Inscriptions of Ceylon -Volume V (Part II). Colombo, Ceylon: The Archaeological Department, Ceylon, pp. 288–308.
Ranawella, S. (2004) Inscriptions of Ceylon Vol V (part II). Colombo: Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka.

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Map of Dorabawila Sri Sugatharamaya Rajamaha Viharaya

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Travel Directions to Dorabawila Sri Sugatharamaya Rajamaha Viharaya

Route from Colombo to Dorabawila Sri Sugatharamaya Rajamaha Viharaya

Through : Negombo – Chilaw – Bingiriya
Distance : 123 km
Travel time : 3 hours
Driving directions : see on google map

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