The Tämpi?aviharas of Sri Lanka: Elevated Image-Houses in Buddhist Architecture

The ?ämpi?aviharas of Sri Lanka focuses on one distinctive Buddhist architectural practice from pre-modern Sri Lanka – the construction of Buddha image-houses on elevated wooden platforms supported by stone pillars. As a centre of Buddhism, Sri Lanka has a rich tradition of erecting Buddha image-houses, the origin of which dates to the fifth century. Yet, the ?ämpi?avihara tradition only existed from the thirteenth to the nineteenth centuries. The ?ämpi?avihara is an exceptional type of image-house, not only for its specific timeframe and unique construction technology, but also for its complex architectural conception of the Buddhist worldview and soteriology. This book examines the significant aspects of ?ämpi?avihara architecture and documents some of the distinctive examples of ?ämpi?avihara with an analysis of their architectural design and symbolic content.