Dembawa Purana Tampita Viharaya – දැඹව පුරාණ ටැම්පිට විහාරය

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Dembawa Purana Viharaya is a Buddhist temple located in in Wahakotte area, between Galewela and Matale with an ancient Tampita Viharaya built during the Kandyan Kingdom. The temple lies 36 km off Matale town and 8 km off Galewela.

To reach Dembawa Ancient Temple from Galewela, take to Palapathwela road towards Matale for 5 km and reach Medabedda. Take the Dembawa road from Medabedda for 2.5 km to reach the temple. To reach the temple from Matale, take the Galewela road from Palapathwela and travel 26km up to Medabedda passing Pallepola, Aluthgama and Wahakotte. .

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.

The Tampita Viharaya at the Dembawa Purana Viharaya is comparatively small and is built on 6 short granite stumps. There is no room for a circumambulating path. Two granite and 3 wooden steps leads to the entrance of the image house. The wooden door frame is built in the form of Suryawanka and is finely carved with creeper designs. At the bottom of the pillars of the frame, two Devatha figures can be seen. The door too is painted with flower and creeper designs. Statues of two Guardian deities can be seen beside the door. These figures along with the outer wall are painted in white.

A single seated Buddha statue can be seen inside the image house. This statue is built around a finely crafted Makara Thorana (Dragon Arch) with six Devatha figures on each side. The inner walls and the roof is covered in murals from the Kandyan era.

The seated Buddha under a detailed dragon arch at the Dembawa Purana Tampita Viharaya

The detailed dragon arch at the Dembawa Purana Tampita Viharya

The entrance to the Dembawa Purana Tampita Viharaya

Murals on the inner wall of the Dembawa Purana Tampita Viharaya

A guardian deity beside the entrance to the Dembawa Purana Tampita Viharaya

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Map of the Dembawa Purana Tampita Viharaya

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Driving Directions to Dembawa Purana Tampita Viharaya

Route from Galewela to Dembawa Purana Tampita Viharaya

Though : Medabedda
distance : 5.5 km
Travel time :20 mins
Time to spend : 30 mins
Driving directions : see on google map

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