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Udasgiriya Bomaluwa Purana Viharaya is a Buddhist temple in Yatawatta, Matale with an ancient Tampita Viharaya built during the Kandyan Kingdom. The temple lies 12 km off Matale town.
To reach Udasgiriya from Matale, travel on Dambulla Road and passing the ancient Alu Viharaya take the first turn (Atipola Road) to the left. Travel 4.5 km on this road, passing Atipola – Walawela for 6.5 km. 500 meters passing Walawela, take the road towards Ambanpola road at the sign board for Unaweruwa Traditional Sesath Village. Travel 2 km on this road to fall into the Ambanpola road. Turn right and travel about 200 meters to reach the Udasgiriya Temple.
A Tampita Viharaya is a special building constructed on a wooden platform supported by several stone stumps, typically around 3 to 4 feet tall. Its roof is supported by a timber frame, and the walls are often made of wattle and daub, a mixture of woven branches and clay. Inside, the chamber walls are usually adorned with paintings, often in the Kandyan style, depicting religious themes and stories.
The Tampita Viharaya at the Udasgiriya Bomaluwa Purana Viharaya is a narrow and relatively small structure that appears to have been constructed as an afterthought. This is unsurprising, as it originally functioned as a granary (wee atuwa).
According to folklore, during the reign of King Kirthi Sri Rajasinhe (1747–1781), the village headman of Udasgiriya, Hiṭibanḍara, secretly stored a sacred relic inside the granary for his family’s worship. When the secret was revealed and a royal inquisition loomed, Hiṭibanḍara swiftly converted the granary into a Tampita Viharaya by adding a roof supported by six masonry columns, which stand independently of the granary. The roof was extended at the front to create a gathering space similar to a digge or mandapa found in other Tampita Viharayas (Chandrasekara & Silva, 2021).
The structure lacks a circumambulating path. A granite stairway leads to the doorway of the image house within the Tampita Viharaya. The outer walls are adorned with fading murals, including depictions of scenes from hell on one side.
Inside the image house, there is a single seated Buddha statue placed on a pettagama (wooden storage box) at the far end. The statue is painted in gold and red, while the inner walls and ceiling are covered with murals illustrating incidents from the Buddha’s life and Jataka stories (Chandrasekara & Silva, 2021)..
The Tampita Viharaya at Udasgiriya Bodhi Malu Viharaya, located in No. 336, Udasgiriya Grama Niladhari Division, within the Yatawatta Divisional Secretary’s Division of the Matale District, Central Province, was officially declared a protected archaeological monument through a gazette notification issued on July 29, 2009 (Abeywardana, 2009).
References
- Abeywardana, M.Y. (2009) “The Antiquities Ordinance (Chapter 188) ,” The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, 1612, p. 1022.
- Chandrasekara, D. P., & Silva, K. D. (2021). The Ṭämpiṭavihāras of Sri Lanka: Elevated Image- Houses in Buddhist Architecture. Anthem Press.
Also See
- Tampita Vihara of Sri Lanka Index
- Ancient Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka
- Other Places of Interest Within Close Proximity
Map of the Udasgiriya Bomaluwa Purana Tampita Viharaya
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Driving Directions to Udasgiriya Bomaluwa Purana Tampita Viharaya
| Route from Matale to Udasgiriya Bomaluwa Purana Tampita Viharaya |
| Though : Aluvihare – Atipola distance : 9 km Travel time :25 mins Time to spend : 20 – 30 mins Driving directions : see on google map |
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