Maunawa Purana Tampita Viharaya – මාඋනාව පුරාණ ටැම්පිට විහාරය

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Maunawa Purana Viharaya is an ancient temple with a Tampita Viharaya hidden just few hundred meters away from the Bingiriya – Wariyapola road.

Tampita Viharaya is a temple built on pillars, primarily carved out of stone even though few smaller structures built on wooden pillars are found. A frame of timber is laid on the pillars and a thick wooden planks are laid on this frame to create a platform. The temple is built on the platform using wattle and daub, mostly with a outer and a inner sanctum as in the Tampita Viharaya at Maunawa. Tampita Vihara were a popular architectural feature of temples during the Kandyan era.

Unfortunately this temple seems to have been gone through a major renovation in 2453 BE (1910) as printed on the newly painted Makara Thorana. A Mandpaya too has been built on in front of the viharaya probably during this renovation. A wooden stairway from the end of the Mandapaya leads to the entrance of the Tampita Viharaya.

Entrance to the inner chamber is through a new Makara Thorana decorated with flowers. Unfortunately all the statues inside the temple as well as paintings are new and freshly painted and lacks any antiquity.

The temple between Chilaw and Wariyapola, 21 km from Chilaw and 33 km from Wariyapola. From Chilaw, travel pass Bingiriya and Bowatta. One km from Bowatta junction turn right on to the Maunawa Vihara Mawatha at the board directing to Mahaveunawa Asapuwa which also lies on this road. Travel on this road for 750 meters to reach the temple.

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Map of Maunawa Purana Tampita Vihara

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Traveling to Maunawa Purana Tampita Viharaya

Route from Colombo to Maunawa Purana Tampita Viharaya

Distance : 97 km
Travel time : 2.30 hours
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. […]
Ranawa Andiyagala Pillar Inscription (රණව ආඬියාගල ටැම් ලිපිය)
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. […]
Dutugemunu Pillar at Ruwanweli Seya (දුටුගැමුණු ශිලා ස්ථම්භය)
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
In this Wadamunai (Wadamune) Megalithic Cemetery, scattered across the landscape, lie between 15 to 20 graves. Unfortunately, the peaceful serenity of these resting places has been disrupted by thorn bushes, which have taken root amidst many of the tombs. Adding to the desecration, some graves have fallen victim to the destructive hands of treasure hunters, who have ransacked them in search of valuables. […]
Gurugalhinna Megalithic Burial Grounds
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. […]
Kanugala Sri Pushparama Purana Tampita Viharaya (කණුගල ශ්‍රී පුෂ්පාරාම පුරාණ ටැම්පිට විහාරය)
The Tampita Viharaya is built on a wooden platform on six large granite stumps. A wooden ladder with 5 steps leads to the verandah of the vihara-ge. the walls of the inner chamber is adorned with clay figures of deities by the entrance. […]
Attanagalla Rajamaha Viharaya (අත්තනගල්ල රජමහා විහාරය)
Attanagalla Rajamaha Viharaya is one of the most famous ancient royal temples in Sri Lanka lying close to Gampaha, 48 km away from Colombo. […]
Detiyamulla Sri Jettatissa Rajamaha Viharaya Archaeological Ruins (දෙටියමුල්ල ශ්‍රී ජෙට්ඨතිස්ස රජමහා විහාරය පුරාවිද්‍යා නටඹුන්)
A large temple complex now reduced to granite pillar stumps and foundations has been preserved at this temple. Number of such buildings and few artifacts of the by gone era can be seen at this temple. […]
Lankagama Sangili Palama / Hanging Bridge (ලංකාගම සංගිලි පාලම)
Lankagama is a remote village on the boarder of Sinharaja Rain Forest which is considered the last village before Sinharaja.This village is bordered by the Sinharaja Rain Forest from north and Nilwala River from the south. Beyond the Nilwala River lies the Nilwaligama and the Dellawa Forest Reserve. A Sangili Palama (hanging bridge) connects Lankagama and the Nilwaligama across the Nilwala Ganga. […]
Ulapane Fool’s Bridge / Upside Down Bridge (උලපනේ මෝඩයාගේ පාලම / උඩ යට පාලම)
Built in 1904 by the British, the uniqueness of this steel bridge is the side arches generically found on steel bridges are built at the bottom of the bridge giving it a look of a bridge built upside down. […]
Ruwanwella Sangili Palama (රුවන්වැල්ල එල්ලෙන පාලම / සංගිලි පාලම)
The Ruwanwella Suspension Bridge across Kelani River at Ruwanwella is believed to be the longest of its type in Sri Lanka. Built in 2007, this foot bridge connect the Ruwanwella town with villages such as Nikawalamulla and Kurupaththa. The bridge is 550 feet (170 meters) long […]
Girisiri Darshanarama Purana Tampita Viharaya / Batuwita Viharaya (ගිරිසිරි දර්ශනාරාම පුරාණ ටැම්පිට විහාරය / බටුවිට විහාරය)
Batuwita is a small village between Urapola and Amirthigala in Kirindiwela in the Gampaha District. Hidden away in Batuwita lies an ancient Tampita Viharaya in Girisiri Darshanarama Purana Tampita Viharaya also known as Batuwita Viharaya. […]
Mahakumbukgollewa Sri Dalada Tampita Viharaya (මහකුඹුක්ගොල්ලෑව ශ්‍රී දළදා ටැම්පිට විහාරය)
Mahakumbukgollewa is an ancient village between Medawachchiya and Vavuniya in the Anuradhapura district. The Sri Dalada Viharaya at Mahakumbukgollewa hides a ancient Tampita Viharaya from the Kandyan Era. […]
Korasagalla Koranaka Sandagala Rajamaha Viharaya (කොරසගල්ල කොරණක සඳගල රජමහා විහාරය)
Korasagalla is an ancient village on the Thalawa road few kilometers away from Kakirawa. History of the Koranaka Sandagala Tampita Rajamaha Viharaya in Korasagalla is believed to go back as far as the reign of king Kawanthissa. It is also said that when the king Dutugemunu was bitten by an cobra, he was treated by snake venom specialists from the Korasagalla […]
Korasagalla Wewa Biso Kotuwa Ruins (කොරසගල්ල වැව බිසෝ කොටුව)
Korasagalla is an ancient village on the Thalawa road few kilometers away from Kakirawa. History of the Koranaka Sandagala Tampita Rajamaha Viharaya in Korasagalla is believed to go back as far as the reign of king Kawanthissa. […]
Namalpura Sri Vishuddharama Tampita Viharaya / Madawala Tampita Viharaya (නාමල්පුර ශ්‍රී විශුද්ධාරාම ටැම්පිට විහාරය / මඩවල ටැම්පිට විහාරය)
The Tampita Viharaya of the Sri Vishuddharama Tampita Viharaya (Madawala Tampita Viharaya) lies in the remote village of Namalpura 17 kms away from Habarana. […]
Mahadivulwewa Ancient Tampita Viharaya
Mahadivulwewa Tampita Viharaya lies close to the desolated Mahadivulwewa reservoir, lying about 8 km inwards from the Ritigala - Galenbindunuwewa road. Deserted and neglected, this ancient complex also consist of a Tampita Viharaya built during the Kandyan era. […]

Also See

Map of Maunawa Purana Tampita Vihara

Traveling to Maunawa Purana Tampita Viharaya

Route from Colombo to Maunawa Purana Tampita Viharaya

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