Walawela Pamunuwa Purana Tampita Viharaya (වාලවෙල පමුණුව පුරාණ ටැම්පිට විහාරය)

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Walawela Pamunuwa Purana Tampita Viharaya
image source : ‘The Upcountry Repository of Buddhist Art – The Tampita Vihara of Sri Lanka’ By Ganga Rajinee Dissanayaka

Pamunuwa Purana Viharaya is a Buddhist temple in Walawela with an ancient Tampita Viharaya built during the Kandyan Kingdom. The temple lies 8 km off Matale town.

To reach the temple from Matale, travel on Dambulla Road and passing the ancient Alu Viharaya take the first turn (Atipola Road) to the left. Travel 4.5 km on this road, passing Atipola and continuing towards Walawela to reach the temple.

A Tampita Viharaya is a special building constructed on a wooden platform supported by several stone stumps, typically around 3 to 4 feet tall. Its roof is supported by a timber frame, and the walls are often made of wattle and daub, a mixture of woven branches and clay. Inside, the chamber walls are usually adorned with paintings, often in the Kandyan style, depicting religious themes and stories.

The Tampita Viharaya at the Pamunuwa Purana Viharaya is comparatively small and is built on 9 short granite stumps. There is a narrow ledge with no protective rail around the image house not wide enough to be a circumambulating path. A simple door frame to the image house of the Tampita Viharaya built in the form of Suryawanka is flanked by two guardian deities carrying swords.

A Samadhi Buddha statue is built at the centre of the image house. Two paintings of a king can be seen beside the Buddha statue. Next to these paintings and on the sidewalls, statues of 2 deities are seen. Vishnu (Upuluvan) is seen on the left side. Two standing Buddha statues are seen next to these 2 deities.

The inner walls of the image house is covered with various murals drawn during the Kanyan era and the whole image house resembles a mini art gallery of Kandyan artists.

image source : www.samkathana.lk

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Map of the Walawela Pamunuwa Purana Tampita Viharaya

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Driving Directions to Walawela Pamunuwa Purana Tampita Viharaya

Route from Matale to Gurubebila Purana Tampita Viharaya

Though : Aluvihare – Atipola
distance : 9 km
Travel time :25 mins
Time to spend : 20 – 30 mins
Driving directions : see on google map

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Also See

Map of the Walawela Pamunuwa Purana Tampita Viharaya

Driving Directions to Walawela Pamunuwa Purana Tampita Viharaya

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