Kariyagama Purana Tampita Viharaya lies in Ussapitiya off Mawanella. Take the Aranayaka road from Mawanella town (see map) and travel for 4.7 km passing Sudugala Junction. Just after Passing Ussapitiya Junior School take the narrow road the right next to the school which will take you to the Kariyagama Rajamaha Viharaya.
This would have been an important establishment during the Kandyan era since the Nampotha published during this era also mentions the name of this temple. Today you will find a Tampita Viharaya built during this era at the temple. It is blieved that it had been built with the patronage of king Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe (1747 – 1781) of Kandy.
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. Conservation of the this Tampita Viharaya and the pillar base was carried out in 2010.
The Tampita vihara with the stone pillars nearby and the pillar base belonging to Kariyagama Raja Maha Vihara premises in the Grama Niladhari Division of Kariyagama, in Aranayake Divisional Secretary’s Division in Kegalle District, Sabaragamuwa Province was declared as a protected archegonial site in 2008.
References
- Yatawara, M.D.M.S. (2009) කෑගලු කෝරළ පවත : පරණකුරු, කිණිගොඩ සහ ගල්බඩ කෝරළයන්හි ඓතිහාසික, සංස්කෘතික සහ පුරාවිද්යාත්මක ගවේෂණය. Warakapola, Sri Lanka: Ariya Publication.
- Abeywardana, M.Y. (2008) “The Antiquities Ordinance (Chapter 188) ,” The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, 1553, p. 526.
Also See
- Tampita Vihara of Sri Lanka Index
- Ancient Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka
- Other Places of Interest Within Close Proximity
Map of the Kariyagama Purana Rajamaha Viharaya
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 Kariyagama Purana Tampita Viharaya
Route from Mawanella to Kariyagama Purana Tampita Viharaya |
Though : Aranayaka road distance : 5.2 km Travel time : 10 minutes Time to spend : 20-30 mins Driving directions : see on google map |