Dethawa Sri Mahamuni Purana Tampita Viharaya- දෑතව ශ්‍රී මහමුණි පුරාණ ටැම්පිට විහාරය

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Dethawa Sri Mahamuni Purana Viharaya is an ancient Buddhist temple with a Tampita Viharaya belonging to the Kandyan era. The temple lies about 14 km from Giriulla 5 km from Narammala. To reach the temple from Giriulla , travel 10.5 km towards Narammala and turn to Dangolla road. 1.7 km on this road upto Kajugas Handiya junction and turn left. The temple lies 1.6 km down this road. Panavitiya Ambalama lie only 500 meters away from this temple.

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. Walls inside the chamber is more or less always covered in paintings drawn mainly in Kandyan style.

The tampita viharaya at Dethawa is comparatively large and is buit on 9 stone pillars rising about 3 feet from ground. Once you enter from the main door, you reach a narrow circumambulation path (pradakshina patha) and the door to the inner chamber.

The entrance to the inner chamber is built in the form of a Sooryawanka on a massive wooden door frame. “Narilatha Wela” (a flowering creeper rooting out of a female figure) is exquisitely used  to decorate the door frame as well as the door.

Two statues of Naga guardian deities with three cobra heads stand beside the door carrying a punkalasa on their hand. The background of these two statues are filled with paintings of birds and fruits, a unique feature of this temple.

The inner chamber is dominated by a large samadhi Buddha statue in in the center. The statue is complete with a ushnisha at the top. The wall behind the statue is painted with a colorful aura around the statue and two disciples (probably Sariyuth and Mugalan maha theros) worshiping Buddha.

Two standing Buddha statues are painted on the two side walls and next to them are painting of deity Vishnu who is believed to be the protector of Buddhism is Sri Lanka on the left wall and probably deity Saman on the right wall.

Also See

Map of the Dethawa Sri Mahamuni 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 Dethawa Sri Mahamuni Purana Tampita Viharaya

Route from Giriulla to Dethawa Sri Mahamuni Purana Tampita Viharaya
Though : Dambadeniya – Metiyagane
distance : 14  km
Travel time :20 mins
Time to spend : 20-30  mins
Driving directions : see on google map

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