Karambewa Sri Sudarshanarama Purana Tampita Viharaya – කරඹෑව ශ්‍රී සුදර්ශනාරාමය පුරාණ ටැම්පිට විහාරය

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Karambewa is a remote village lying between Alankulama and Siyambalewa in Anamaduwa. Sri Sudarshanarama Purana Viharaya in Karambewa is an ancient temple with a Tampita Viharaya built during the era of the Kandyan kingdom. Although the history of this Tampita Viharaya is not known, most temples in this area goes as far back as the reign of king Walagamba. These temples were revived again during the reign of king Wimaladharmasuriya (1592 – 1604) of Kandyan kingdom .

A Tampita Viharaya is a structure built on a wooden platform which rests on number of stone stumps usually 3-4 feet tall. The roof is held by a structure built of timber and the walls are generally made of wattle and daub. These buildings were a popular religious architectural design during the Kandyan period.

The Tampita Viharaya at the Karambewa Purana Viharaya is built upon 13 granite pillars which are about 3 1/2 feet high. These pillars are decorated with with wooden pillar heads. The end of wooden cross beams which lies on top of the pillars are too carved. The tampita viharaya is 17 feet 2 inches long and 12 feet 2 inches wide. The inner chamber (image house) is 9 feet 11 inches ling and 7 feet 5 inches wide.

The door frame at the entrance to the building is carved with flowers and creepers on the side beams. Once you enter from this door, you enter in to a narrow circumambulating path around the inner chamber. Sunlight to the path is channeled through small windows on the sides. The circumambulating path is 4 feet 2 inches wide at the front and 1 feet 9 inches wide on the two sides and the rear.

The outer walls of the inner chamber indicates that it was covered in murals but most of it has faded with time. Entrance to the inner chamber is through another carved wooden door frame built in chandrawanka design. This door is flanked by two Naga guardian deities with 5 hoods. The right hand side daitey can colapsed and is no more. Only the statue on the left hand side remains today. Inside this chamber lies a 4 feet 3 inch high seated Budddha statue at the center with 6 feet 2 inch tall statue of deity Vishnu (protector of the island Sri Lanka) on the left and 6 feet 2 inch high statue on deity Natha on the right facing each other. Next to these two statues lies 5 feet 11 inch tall two standing Buddha statues. All the statues inside this viharaya seems have been rebuilt during latter times.

The walls of the inner chamber as well as the wooden roof is covered in murals although most these show advance stages of decay. The stupa of the Tampita Viharaya at the temple were declared as protected archaeological monuments by the gazette dated 23 January 2009 which describes the site as below ;

The The Tempita vihare and ancient dagoba belonging to the Sri Sudharsanarama vhiare premises situated in the Grama Niladhari Division of Karambewa in the Divisional Secretary’s Division of Anamaduwa, in Puttalam District, North Western Province.

This temple lies 8.5 km from Anamaduwa town. To reach the temple take the Galgamuwa road for 5.7 km up to Thalgaswewa and take the right turn (Thalkolawewa road) just before the Thalgas Wewa reservoir. Travel 1 km on the road and take the gravel road on the left. Travel 1.8 km towards Karambewa Wewa Reservoir to reach the temple.

References

  • Thalgahawela Sumedha Thero, 2021. පුත්තලම දිස්ත්රික්කයේ ටැම්පිට පිලිමගෙවල් සහ ටැම්පිට දේවාල. 1st ed. Chilaw: Thalgahawela Sumedha Thero.

Also See

Map of the Karambewa Sri Sudarshanarama Purana Tampita Viharaya

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The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites

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Driving Directions to Karambewa Sri Sudarshanarama Purana Tampita Viharaya

Route from Anamaduwa to Karambewa Sri Sudarshanarama Purana Tampita Viharaya

Though : Thalakolawewa
distance : 8.5 km
Travel time :15 minutes
Time to spend : 30  mins
Driving directions : see on google map

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