Morphology and Utility today of the 18thcentury Temple on pillars (TämpitaVihāras) of Sri Lanka

Abstract

The structures built on a wooden platform resting on short granite pillars or stumps reflect a unique type of image house from the 17th to 19th centuries called TämpitaVihāras. The Samkathana Projecton documenting evidences of theTämpitaVihāras has collected data visiting some 90 sites in Kurunegala, Kandy, Kegalla, Matale, NuwaraEliya, Rathnapura, Galle, Matara, Hambanthotaand Anuradhapura Districts. This type ofsingle room very small image housewith a wooden super structure seem to emerge in the early Kandyan Era. From over 92TämpitaVihāras, already visited and documented in this project,I shall select a cross section to demonstrate structural morphology of TämpitaVihāras according to regions. The reports of the Department of Archaeology mentions 240TämpitaVihāras appearing as archeological sites which have been gazetted, butonly 50 edifices have been discussed. These structures have been renovated and published. They are mostly in the Gampaha District: The published study of SriLankaweTampitaViharaSampradayaby the Department of Archaeology (1999) edited byGaminiWijesooriya,Architecture of TampitaViharaya in Sri Lanka by D.P.Chandrasekara and D.M.K.D.Silva(2002)and Heritage Building of Sri Lanka by Nimal De Siva and D.P.Chandrasekara, (2009)mostly refer to the same edifices, at times using material of other research even without reference to them. There has been no comparative study of these over 240TämpitaVihāras, most which are in a sad state of decay and some have been demolished or the features of this unique stone and wooden plinth cemented over, that the identification today becomes strenuous. The utility of TämpitaVihāras as ―Image Houses‖, ―Preaching Halls‖, ―Chapter Halls‖, ―Temples of the Tooth Relic‖ and a planned―Royal Palace‖ in Dodantale, leads to the question of protection and conservation of these single room image houses.