The Most Visited Temple- Gangaramaya Temple




History of the temple

Gangaramaya Temple is not only one of the most beautiful but also one of the most iconic Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka. It is more than a century since this temple was constructed; however even today, the temple doesn’t stop to surprise tourists and devotees and is therefore one of the best tourist places in Colombo.

The Most Visited temple in the city, is  the Gangaramaya Temple which organizes Sri Lanka’s largest and the most colourful Vesak festival annually, has a history of 120 years. It was established in 1885 by Venerable Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayaka Thera at a time when Buddhist and cultural resurgence were much needed as the country was under the colonial rule.

The area that was once a swamp beside the Beira Lake, has now turned to be an iconic complex which consists of the temple, the assembly hall in the breathtaking lake and the vocational training institute. Earlier, devotees had to cross the Beira Lake on a boat in order to reach the then small temple which was converted to what is today by the Devundara Sri Jinaratana Nayake Thera, a pupil of Venerable Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayaka Thera who appointed him as the chief incumbent of the temple.



 

Annual Perahera

One of the grandest festivals of the Gangaramaya Temple, the Navam Perahera, the inception of which dates back to 1979, is held annually in the month of February, displaying the rich religious and cultural tradition of Sri Lanka. It is quite a fascinating sight that hundreds of elephants nicely adorned with elegant costume walk with pride and dignity carrying the casket of the sacred relics while many troupes of traditional drummers, flutists, dancers and other traditional performers and hundreds of Buddhist monks clad in colourful robes, parade in the Perahera.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Explore Sigiriya The Eighth Wonder of the World

Image
Explore Sigiriya The Eighth Wonder of the World Sigiriya Rock, Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982, the ancient citadel of Sigiriya sits atop a giant granite rock rising 200 m above the surrounding countryside. There are conflicting theories about the history of Sigiriya, but according to the Mahavamsa King Kassapa killed his father, King Dhatusena, in AD 477 to inherit the throne. Fearing retribution from his half-brother, Mogallana, Kassapa built an impregnable palace-fortress on the summit of the rock between AD 477 and 485. The site is thought to have been occupied for millennia, but much of what can be seen here today is attributed to the time of King Kassapa. The ruins were first discovered by British archaeologists in the early 20th century, and excavations have continued here ever since. The Royal Gardens  These landscaped gardens are divided into water, boulder and terrace gardens. The water gardens on the way to the rock from an avenue, with brick-lined...
Read more

Wild life at Udawalawe National Park

Image
Udawalawe National Park You will be surrounded by herds of elephants once you reach Udawalawe National Park. The amazing jungle backdrop which this National Park provides will leave you totally mesmerized and will bring you much closer to nature.  This National Park was an attempt to protect the wild animals who were displaced because of the construction of the Udawalawe reservoir. It is one of the must-visit places in Sri Lanka.   Wildlife at Udawalawe National Park Keeping company to the herds of elephants, the main attraction of the park are the Water Buffalo, Wildboar, Spotted Deer, Sambur Deer, Jackal, Samber, Black-naped hare, mongooses, bandicoots, foxes, s the endemic Toque Macaque and Gray Langers. Sighting a Leopard and other smaller cats like Fishing cat & Jungle cat would be a bonus. Elephants at Udawalawe National Park Udawalawe is undoubtedly the best place in Sri Lanka to see wild Asian Elephants throughout the year: t...
Read more

Mirissa

Image
MIRISSA Spend your days, soaking in the sun on a hammock and whale-watching at the little village of Mirissa, one of the most appealing beach hideaways in Sri Lanka. The real world will be forgotten as soon as you enter this beachy paradise. Mirissa definitely has to be on your list of beautiful places to visit in Sri Lanka for an amazing holiday. Not everyone is fond of the rush and crowd of the city. Many of us want to spend our holidays in peace and in some quiet places. So, if you too are one such person and you are in Sri Lanka, then you should definitely visit this beautiful village called Mirissa. 1. Hit Up The Beautiful Beach One of the best things to do in Mirissa Beach Sri Lanka, unsurprisingly, is hit the beach!Mirissa beach is definitely one of the most beautiful beaches in Sri Lanka. It’s palm tree-lined with white sand, turquoise water and the perfect amount of waves. I’m not a huge fan of the pounding waves you sometimes get on the surf coast of...
Read more