Colombo's most eclectic Buddhist temple, an eccentric treasury of relics, statues and curiosities beside Beira Lake.

Overview

Gangaramaya is one of the most important temples in Colombo, blending Sri Lankan, Thai, Indian and Chinese architecture. Its halls overflow with Buddha images, vintage cars, jewellery and gifts donated by devotees, and an on-site museum crams in an astonishing array of artefacts. The temple's serene lakeside pavilion, Seema Malaka, floats on Beira Lake nearby and is part of the same complex.

History

Founded in the late 19th century, Gangaramaya grew under the influential monk and scholar Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala and later Devundara Sri Jinaratana Nayaka Thera into a major centre of Buddhist learning and social service. The associated Seema Malaka meditation hall was redesigned by celebrated architect Geoffrey Bawa in the 1970s.