Medawala Raja Maha Viharaya (Tampita Vihara)
Verification: in review · Coordinates: unverified
What is this site?
Elevated wooden temple on stone stilts (Tampita ), famous for its Kandyan Sittara murals and the Medawala copper plate charter.
Why it matters
An archetypal example of the Tampita typology, preserving late-medieval Kandyan timber engineering and painted mural registers.
Description
Built during the Gampola period and restored in 1755 CE by King Kirti Sri Rajasinha, who granted the famous Medawala Copper Plate (*Tamba Sannasa*). Associated patrons (as supplied): King Bhuvanekabahu IV, King Kirti Sri Rajasinha. Key features to look for: Timber elevated off the ground on monolithic stone stumps; Fine Kandyan Sittara narrative wall paintings inside the wooden shrine; Carved wooden doorframes and hand-turned structural balustrades; Medawala copper plate edict inscription documentation.
Photos
No rights-cleared photographs yet.
Historical and scholarly sources
- Reference as supplied in project dataset (pending verification): Protected Monument Schedule 01
Visiting responsibly
Dress modestly at religious sites, remove shoes and hats where requested, never climb on monuments or pose with your back to Buddha images, and follow guidance from custodians and the Department of Archaeology.