Kongahagedara Sri Bodhidrumaramaya Purana Tampita Viharaya – කෝන්ගහගෙදර ශ්‍රී බෝධිදෘමාරාම පුරාණ ටැම්පිට විහාරය

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Kongahagedara Sri Bodhidrumarama Purana Tampita Viharaya
Photo by : Viduranga Mahesh

Kongahagedara Sri Bodhidrumaramaya Purana Viharaya is an ancient Buddhist temple which is believed to be having a history going back to the Anuradhapura Era with a Tampita Viharaya belonging to the Kandyan era. The temple lies less than 2 kilometers away from Kuliyapitiya Junction, 19 km off Dambadeniya and 22 km of Narammala. From Kuliyapitiya junction travel about 800 meters toward Hettipola and take the Kirindawa Road which lies right after the Kuliyapitiya Market. Traveling 900 meters on this road will bring you to the entrance of the Kongahagedara amncient temple.

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.

The Tampita Viharaya at Kongahagedara Sri Bodhidrumaramaya Purana Viharaya is built on 16 granite pillars laid in 4 rows. Although there is no circumambulating path per say, and open space lies around the image house on the platform. The roof is rested on 14 wooden pillars lying on the edges of the platform and the wall of the image house. Unlike most other Tampita Viharaya’s, these pillars are exquisitely carved with various designs popular during the Kandyan Era. The pillars are decorated with pillar heads, also carved with various designs. Even cross beams at the top are carved.

The massive door frame to the image house too has been similarly caved with designs and is built in Suriyawanka design. On the sides of the door are two statues of guardian deities. At the top lies a Makara Thorana (Dragons Arch).

A samadhi Buddha statue lies at the center of the image house. pictures of Sariyuth and Mugalan Maha theros can be seen worshiping Buddha on the sides. Four large standing Buddha statues about 7 feet tall, are built on the side walls facing each other. The walls and and roof of the image house are covered in murals of Kandyan style. The outer walls of the image house is too covered in murals. Although this Tampita Viharaya seems to have been gone through a restoration of the murals are fading with age.

The Tampita Viharaya at the Kongahagedara Sri Bodhidrumaramaya was declared as a protected archaeological monument by the gazette 1612 dated 24 July 2009.

Inside Kongahagedara Sri Bodhidrumarama Purana Tampita Viharaya

Fine wood carvings on the pillars of Kongahagedara Sri Bodhidrumarama Purana Tampita Viharaya

Fine wood carvings on the pillars of Kongahagedara Sri Bodhidrumarama Purana Tampita ViharayaFine wood carvings on the pillars of Kongahagedara Sri Bodhidrumarama Purana Tampita Viharaya

References

Abeywardana, M.Y. (2009) “The Antiquities Ordinance (Chapter 188) ,” The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, 1612, p. 1024.

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Map of the Kongahagedara Sri Bodhidrumaramaya Purana Tampita Viharaya

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Driving Directions to Kongahagedara Sri Bodhidrumaramaya Purana Tampita Viharaya

Route from Rambukkana to Kongahagedara Sri Bodhidrumaramaya Purana Tampita Viharaya

Though : Kuriyampola Road
distance : 2. km
Travel time :5 mins
Time to spend : 30 – 45 mins
Driving directions : see on google map

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