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Tampita Vihara Heritage

Tempita Vihara (Temple on Pillars) is a unique type of image house found in some Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka. These buildings have a distinctive architectural design. In the 17th-19th century, these Tempita Viharas were a popular aspect of many Buddhist temples.

This architectural feature belongs to the Kandyan era, was mostly built before the 20th century. I have managed to list around two hundred Tempita Viharas that I could find on my travels around Sri Lanka.

These buildings sit on raised stone pillars or stumps, with wooden platforms and wattle and daub walls supporting a timber-framed roof. In most cases, pillars are in not more than 3 or 4 feet in height.

Some roof tiles have been replaced with the modern clay tiles instead of the Sinhala ulu tiles.

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