BALADORA TAMPITA VIHARAYA

The Baladora image house is situated in the Kurunegala district. It is accessible from Withikuliya - Nugawela by road off Wariyapola - Puttlam main Road.

The Baladora village consists of two sub villages namely “Ihala” Baladora and “Pahala” Baladora. Initially, both villages considered the "lhala Baladora" temple as their place of religious worship. But when the Ihala Baladora villagers made almsgiving on their own, the "Pahala Baladora" temple was built for the people living in Pahala Baladora village.

The Tampita Vihara located at Pahala Baladora is rectangular in form. It is constructed with mud, timber and stone. The walls are built out of wattle and daub, and lime washed.

The double pitch roof remains in its original shape after the archaeological Dept renovated the whole vihara in 1995.

There are seven statues in the inner shrine. The seated Buddha statue at the end is the largest. Out of the other six figures, one is of the Singaraja Thero, and the other is of King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe, and both were constructed out of the mud as relief work on the wall.

It is believed that many characteristics of Baladora Tampita Vihara are similar to that of Panduwasnuwara Viharage. It is stated by the folk that the original stone columns of Baladora Tapmpita Vihara have been brought from Panduwasnuwara.

There are medieval period paintings on walls and ceiling. The Tampita Vihara does not have any stonework decorations, but it has old wood carvings.

(Architecture of Tampita Viharas in Sri Lanka by D. P. Chandrasekara and D. M. K. D. Silva, 2002, P61)

Unique Sri Lanka

Pahala Baladora Sri Nagarukkarama Purana Tampita Viharaya

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