LAWRENCE – For centuries, they have been intimate spaces for personal prayer and contemplation for the Buddhists of Sri Lanka. But until now, no one had fully documented the existence of nearly 250 ṭämpiṭavihāras – small buildings, raised on stone pillars housing images and relics of the Buddha – scattered across the island nation.
Now a book co-written by Kapila Silva, University of Kansas professor of architecture, and his colleague Dhammika Chandrasekara, dean of the faculty of architecture at the University of Moratuwa in Sri Lanka, has done just that. “The ṬÄMPIṬAVIHĀRAS of Sri Lanka: Elevated Image-houses in Buddhist Architecture” (Anthem Press) is the product of over 20 years of research by the authors and their architecture students.
Silva, who grew up in Sri Lanka, likened ṭämpiṭavihāras to the chapel of a Christian church. They are the only elevated Buddha image-houses in the history of Buddhist architecture, and they are found on the grounds of large monasteries1.
The KU researcher said he has traced their history back to the 13th century and their antecedents to the 11th century. They were built as late as the late 1800s.
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- 1. “The encounter is, in some way, unique,” Silva said, “because the building is so small that only two or three people can be inside the inner sanctum at any given time. So, it feels like the place is for your own private encounter with the Buddha and any other deities represented in the sculptures in it. It's a visceral experience.”
