This article presents the epigraphic data relating to the history of Buddhist vihāras over the territory of the ancient kingdom of Campā, in present Vietnam. We will consider how the way in which vihāras figure epigraphically evolves over time, from the 7th to the 14th century CE and attempt to shed light on the long-term integration of vihāras into a socio-economic network of foundations and endowments, revealing of the status that Buddhism occupied within society. We will also discuss the nature of the institution(s) or structure(s) that the term vihāra designated in Campā, in connection with the paradoxical absence of clearly identifiable vihāras in the archeological record, focusing on the Buddhist sanctuary of Ðồng Dương. This leads us to reflect on the specific organization of the Cham vihāras, and on the forms of monastic life that the term vihāra implies. We pursue this reflection by comparing it with the term kuṭi, which appears in epigraphy from the 11th century, always in close conjunction with the term vihāra, in a manner that invites comparison with the use of the same terms on the island of Java.