Ahugoda Purana Tampita Viharaya

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Ahugoda Purana Tampita Viharaya is an ancient temple located in Wadakada, off Pothuhera, between Polgahawela and Kurunegala, featuring several heritage buildings. To reach the temple, take Wadakada Road from Pothuhera town and travel 2 km until you reach Ahugoda Pansala Road on the right. From Wadakada, this road is 5.8 km from the junction. Follow Ahugoda Pansala Road for 1.2 km to arrive at the temple.

Dating back to the 17th century, the temple complex includes three historically significant structures: the Tampita Viharaya (temple on pillars), the Sangawasa (monks’ residence), and the Kuludageya (stupa house), each showcasing unique Kandyan-era architecture.

Tampita Viharaya

A Tampita Viharaya is a temple elevated on a wooden platform supported by stone pillars, typically 3–4 feet high. The roof is constructed with timber, and the walls are made of wattle and daub, often adorned with Kandyan-style paintings. At Ahugoda, the Tampita Viharaya is housed within a two-story building, featuring a narrow circumambulatory path with a wooden balustrade around the inner chamber. The roof is supported by carved wooden pillars and wattle-and-daub walls. The entrance, designed in the Suryawanka style, features a single surviving guardian deity statue.

Inside the image house, a seated Buddha statue in Samadhi posture is flanked by two standing Buddha statues in Abhaya mudra, all adorned with a Siraspatha at the top of the head. Only the central seated statue has an aura painted on the wall behind it. Both the statues and paintings reflect Kandyan-era sittara style.

Sangawasa (Monks’ Residence)

The Sangawasa, over 350 years old, is a restored structure with four rooms and a verandah. Intricate carvings on the door frames suggest it may be around 400 years old. The Department of Archaeology restored this building in 2011.

Kuludageya (Stupa House)

The Kuludageya, a Kandyan-era structure designed to protect stupas from the elements, is the third significant building. According to Dr. Roland Silva, stupa shelters, or “stupaghara,” are classified into three types: Vatadage (circular stupa houses), Kuludage (more open non-circular stupa roofs), and chaitya caves (stupas in rock shelters).

The Kuludage, a simpler and more resource-efficient alternative to the Vatadage, emerged during the Kandyan period when resources and expertise were limited. Unlike Vatadages, Kuludage structures lack a central column; instead, wooden roof beams are interlocked at a central fixture called a Kanimadala. The stupa and its Kuludage at Ahugoda are approximately 100 years old.

For a detailed exploration of Sri Lankan “Stupaghara” or “Chethiyaghara” architecture, including Kuludage, see here.

The historic structures of Ahugoda Purana Viharaya in Ahugoda village of Polgahawela Divisional Secretariat were designated as protected archaeological monuments by the Department of Archaeology, under Gazette No. 1195, dated 27 July 2001.

Murals inside the Ahugoda Purana Tampita Viharaya

The Bodhi tree which is over 300 years old at Ahugoda Purana Tampita Viharaya

Murals inside Ahugoda Purana Tampita Viharaya

Ancient Sangawasa building at Ahugoda Purana Tampita Viharaya

Buddha statues inside Ahugoda Purana Tampita Viharaya

The guardian deity at the entrance of the Ahugoda Purana Tampita Viharaya

An ancient carved wooden door frame at Ahugoda Purana Tampita Viharaya

The Stupa House (Kuludageya) at Ahugoda Purana Tampita Viharaya

References

SILVA, ROLAND, 2020, MEMOIRS OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CEYLON – VOLUME X – PART II : THUPA, THUPAGHARA AND THUPA PRASADA. 1. Colombo : The Department of Archaeology.

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