Tempita Vihara (Sinhala: ටැම්පිට විහාර) is a unique type of image house found in some Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka. With an inimitable architectural design, Tempita Viharas were a popular aspect of many Buddhist temples during the 17th to 19th centuries. Construction of Tempita Viharas in or after the 20th century has been not recorded. More than two hundred Tempita Viharas have been identified in Sri Lanka to date. Most of the shrines are found in North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Western provinces.

Medawala Tempita Vihara in Kandy is considered the first accounted Tempita Vihara in Sri Lanka. According to the Medawala copper plaque, it was a two-storied shrine during the 14th century and was renovated as a Tempita Vihara by Kirti Sri Rajasinha (1747–1781) in 1755. Minuwangamuwa Tempita Vihara in Kegalle is believed to be the last Tempita Vihara in the island built on 2 May 1886.

Besides the Buddhist temples, a few Ambalamas and Devalayas have been identified in Sri Lanka as Tempita buildings. These structures are also built on raised stone pillars or rock boulders but have minor differences in their architectural design. Awariyawala Ambalama in Gampaha, Panawitiya Ambalama in Kurunegala and Halpe Pattini Devalaya in Ella are three examples of them.

Perched on raised stone pillars or stumps, Tempita Viharas possess wooden platforms and wattle walls supporting a timber-framed roof. Usually, pillars are in an exposed state and not more than three or four feet in height. However, the pillars used in some temples such as Dodamthale Raja Maha Vihara in Mawanella and Ambulugala Raja Maha Vihara are about six feet in height. Wattle walls make the main enclosed shrine room containing the Buddha statues made of Limestones or timber. Inner walls are usually decorated with varies murals and paintings of the Kandyan period. The roofs are two-pitched and covered with flat clay tiles. Some Tempita Viharas have narrow verandas circulating the main enclosed space.

Over time, the function of the tempita vihara evolved, with additional features being integrated into the structure. Apart from the Ihala Kadigamuwa Pushparama Tempita Viharaya which gained recognition as the Tempita Pothgula (library) and the Saddarma Poth Gabadava (Saddarma Book Store), since the main need for the construction of all the others was an image house; other features were added to their utilities at a higher point of cultural temple centric development.

There is a wall surrounding the high-pillared ground floor of the tempita vihara which embeds the pillars. This being a construction of a later period, it suggests that the ground floor had been made use of as a bana maduwa (sermon hall) and a pohoya seema (Chapter house). Doragamuwa and Diyasunnata are two such examples.

The other is the digge (dancing/audience hall) or hewisi mandapa (drummers' hall) built towards the front of the tempita vihara and joined to the front slope of the roof. While this feature is evident in the majority of the tempita viharas, its structural enhancements include arches, wooden pillars and the presence and absence of short walls.

While Omalpe is a tempita vihara that includes both the aforesaid secondary features of construction, it also has the longest digge as well.