If you’re visiting Colombo in Sri Lanka, one of the sights you have to see is the Gangaramaya Temple in the Pettah district. The Gangaramaya Temple is one of the most important religious locations in Sri Lanka and a truly beautiful building.
The History of Gangaramaya Temple
In the 19th century, a shipping merchant purchased a piece of land where the current temple stands, to build a temple for the Matara Sri Dharmarama thero (a highly regarded and influential meditation master, born in 1901).
Gangaramaya Temple Today
The Gangaramaya is over 120 years old and is not your typical Sri Lankan temple. Taking influences from around the Buddhist world, the temple is part museum, part education centre and part place of worship. Brimming with artefacts and donations from across the globe, the intriguing temple complex is an extremely popular destination for tourists visiting the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo.
The complex is renowned for its eclectic mix of architecture, incorporating many of the best elements of Sri Lankan, Thai, Chinese and Burmese styles.
For more information on our visit to Gangaramaya Temple and everything else we did in Colombo, check our our mini Colombo Travel Guide.
