Embekka Dewalaya

The Embekka Dewalaya is recognizable by its expansive wooden halls, where every pillar, beam, and bracket is covered in intricate carvings. Built in the fourteenth century during the Gampola era by King Vikramabahu the Third, this temple is dedicated to the deity Kataragama. It stands as a rare example of medieval Sri Lankan architecture constructed almost entirely from wood, with even the joints and nails hewn from timber rather than metal.