Inguruwaththa Purana Tampita Viharaya – ඉඟුරුවත්ත පුරාණ ටැම්පිට විහාරය

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Inguruwaththa Purana Viharaya (Inguruwatta Purana Viharaya) is an ancient Buddhist temple with a Tampita Viharaya belonging to the Kandyan era. The temple lies between Rambukkana and Mawathagama, about 13 km off Rambukkana and 7 km off Mawathagama. To reach the temple from Rambukkana take the Mawathagama road and travel about 9km passing Koshinna and Parape and take the Watareka Road. Travel 2.2 km on this remote road until you reach Watareka Maha Vidyalaya. Take the road across the stream just in front of the school which leads to Inguruwatta Village. The temple lies 500 meters down this road.

A Tampita Viharaya is a structure built on a wooden platform which rests on number of stone stumps usually 3-4 feet high. The roof is held by a structure built of timber and the walls are generally made of wattle and daub. Walls inside the image chamber is more or less always covered in murals drawn mainly in Kandyan style.

The Tampita Viharaya at the Inguruwaththa Purana Viharaya is built on 2 feet 4 inches high 8 granite stumps during the era of king Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe (1747 – 1781). A circumambulating path is built around the image house protected by a half height wall. The path is narrow except at the front. Wooden pillars around the path holds the roof tiled with flat clay tiles typical of roofs built during the Kandyan kingdom. A seated and a standing Buddha statue can be found inside the Image House. In addition Inner and the outer walls of the image house are covered with murals.

This Tampita Viharaya was declared as an protected archaeological monument by the Department Archaeology by the gazette dated 6 June 2008 and describes as follows;

The Tampita vihare of Inguruwatta in the Grama Niladhari Division of Inguruwatta, in Mawathagama Divisional Secretary’s Division in Kurunegala District, North-Western Province.

References

Anuradha, R.K.S. and Kumari , A.S. (2015) පෞරාණික ස්ථාන හා ස්මාරක – කුරුනෑගල දිස්ත්‍රික්කය. Colombo: Department of Archaeology Sri Lanka.
Abeywardana, M.Y. (2008) “The Antiquities Ordinance (Chapter 188) ,” The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, 1553, p. 531.

Also See

Map of the Inguruwaththa Purana Tampita Viharaya

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Driving Directions to Inguruwaththa Purana Tampita Viharaya

Route from Rambukkana to Inguruwaththa Purana Tampita Viharaya

Though : Parape –
distance : 13 km
Travel time :30 mins
Time to spend : 20-30 mins
Driving directions : see on google map

Mihintale Slab Inscriptions and the Relic House (4වන මිහිඳු රජුගේ මිහින්තලේ පුවරු ලිපි)
The inscription of King Mahinda IV belonging to the tenth century is installed on the two sides of the entrance to this Vihara. The relic house is a square building. […]
Dambegoda Pillar Inscription in Maligawila (දඹේගොඩ ටැම් ලිපිය)
Established by King Mahinda IV (956-972) Dambegoda Pillar Inscription in Maligawila narrates the religious acts of the king and lays down rules for the administration of certain religious establishments. […]
Kotttapitiya Slab Inscription (කෝට්ටපිටිය පුවරු ලිපිය)
The Kotttapitiya Slab Inscription is considered one of the 14 valuable inscriptions of the Anuradhapura Era. The pillar inscription is believed to have been placed by King Mahinda IV (956-972) and is 6 feet in height and 1.5 feet wide. 45 lines of text have been inscribed on this pillar. […]
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Placed by King Dappula IV in the early part of the 10th century, this Ranawa Andiyagala Pillar Inscription declares a sanctuary for Animal, Plants as well as Humans in the Namal Uyana area. Even royal guards were prohibited from entering this area to apprehend criminals. […]
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Many do not pay special attention to this pillar which is generally called "Dutugenumu Pillar" but the story behind this pillar is interesting as the construction of the Ruwanweli Seya itself. This pillar was installed by King Devanampiyatissa (250-210 BCE) on the advice of Mihindu Maha Thero. […]
Wadamunai (Wadamune) Megalithic Burial Site in Maduru Oya Valley
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Gurugalhinna Megalithic Cemetery was initially uncovered and examined in 1896 by R. W. Levers. Subsequently, in the 1970s, Raja De Silva from the Department of Archaeology led excavations at Gurugalhinna. However, the burials at the site have not been scientifically dated. […]
Dalada Maligawa of Kurunegala Kingdom (කුරුණෑගල රාජධානියේ දළදා මාලිගාව)
The old city of Kurunegala Kingdom was spread between Kuruminigala and Ibbagala, bounded by Athugala. Even today ruins of the palace complex, the Temple of Tooth (Dalada Maligawa) and other buildings inside a semi-circular are found on this strip of land between Athugala and Kuruminigala. […]
Dunkumbura Rajamaha Viharaya / Dunkumbura Tampita Viharaya (දුංකුඹුර රජමහා විහාරය / දුංකුඹුර ටැම්පිට විහාරය)
Dunkumbura Rajamaha Viharaya (also known as Dunkumbura Tampita Viharaya) is a temple with a Tampita Viharya with a 200 year old history going back to the Kandyan Era. […]
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Folklore says that the Dehana Ella Fall was used as a torture chamber by an regional king in the ancient times. Therefore this was known as "Damana" Ella which became Dehena Ella with time. […]
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Kekunadola Rajamaha Viharaya (Prathiraja Pirivena) is said to built during the reign of king Parakramabahu VI (1411-1463) by a minister called Sri Wardhana Prathiraja. The current stupa and the Tampita Viharaya is believed to be the structures built by him. […]
Weeraketiya Seegala Purana Tampita Viharaya (වීරකැටිය සීගල පුරාණ ටැම්පිට විහාරය)
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Hathagala Purana Tampita Viharaya (හාතාගල පුරාණ ටැම්පිට විහාරය)
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Anuragoda Sri Sumangalarama Purana Tampita Viharaya (අනුරාගොඩ ශ්‍රී සුමංගලාරාම පුරාණ ටැම්පිට විහාරය)
Anuragoda Sri Sumangalarama Purana Tampita Viharaya better known as Anuragoda Tampita Viharaya is old temple lying between Mandawala and Pepiliyawala in Gampaha District. […]
Yatawatta Purana Tampita Viharaya
History of the Yatawatta Purana Tampita Viharaya is not known but the door frame of the Tampita Viharaya is carved with the date 21 March 1861. This could be the date on which the Tampita Viharaya was built or a major renovation was carried out. […]
Manankattiya Sri Sudarshanarama Tampita Rajamaha Viharaya (මානන්කට්ටිය ශ්‍රී සුදර්ශනාරාම ටැම්පිට රජමහා විහාරය)
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This Tampita Viharaya is unique in two ways. This structure is built on large pillars built out of a mixture of Kabok and granite rocks instead of granite or wooden pillars. Mahalloluwa is also the only Tampita Viharaya where a reclining Buddha statue can be found. […]
Mottunna Sri Kireetaramaya Purana Tampita Viharaya
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Warapalana Sri Jinendrarama Tampita Viharaya (වරපලාන ශ්‍රී ජිනේන්ද්‍රාරාම ටැම්පිට විහාරය)
The Tampita Viharaya at the Warapalana Sri Jinendrarama Viharaya is built on 25 granite stumps of about 3 feet in height. The roof is tiled with Sinhala Ulu (semi cylindrical tapered tiles). The structure is 19 feet long and 15 feet 3 inches wide. A 3'10" high short wall is built around the structure. […]