Sacred Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Veediya, Kandy) — the sacred Temple of the Tooth in the historic city of Kandy houses one of Buddhism’s most sacred relics and draws followers of the Buddhist faith from all over the world. The Royal Complex situated around the Temple of the Tooth and Kandy Lake – […]
Royal Palace of Kandy (Sri Dalada Veediya & Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kandy) — located 3 ½ hours (137 km. northeast of Colombo), this is a residual remnant of the past dating as far back as the 14th century. The Royal Palace of the Kandyan Kingdom lies tucked away near the valleys of Kandy as reminiscence […]
Polonnaruwa – located 5 hours (228 km. northeast of Colombo, Polonnaruwa was established as the capital after Anuradhapura had been invaded in the late 10th century. Under King Parakramabu, who ruled in the late 11th century, Polonnaruwa became a magnificent walled city. He built the vast reservoir, Parakrama Samudra (the Sea of Parakrama) still in […]
National Museum of Colombo (Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Colombo) – this museum is an Italian architecture colonial type mansion which was founded by the British governor of Ceylon at that time, Sir William Henry Gregory. This treasure house is the Sri Lanka’s most prestigious, oldest and largest museum. This museum is an Italian architecture colonial […]
Kelaniya Rajamaha Viharaya Temple (Kelaniya, Colombo) – located 10 km away from the heart of Colombo is the Kelaniya Rajamaha Viharaya Temple. The ancient chronicle ‘Mahavamsa’ states that on the eighth year following enlightenment; the Buddha visited Kelaniya with 500 Bikkhus (Monks) on the invitation of King Maniakkhikha to preach the dhamma. A stupa(hemispherical structure […]
Jetavanaramaya – located 4 hours (202 km.) northeast of Colombo, this ancient stupa in the Sri Lankan jungle, built with approximately 93 million baked bricks, was one of the tallest structures in antiquity. The Mahavamsa, a chronicle kept by Sri Lankan kings between 543 BC and 361 AD describes how the foundation of this monumental […]
Golden Temple of Dambulla (Dambulla) — dating back to the First Century BC, the Golden Temple of Dambulla (located 4 hours via car northeast of Colombo) has been the center of pilgrimage for Buddhists and Hindus alike for 22 centuries. It is Sri Lanka’s most popular historic site. The Cave monastery, home to Buddhist monks […]
Gangaramaya Temple (61 Sri Jinarathana Road, Colombo) — What was once a swamp adjoining the famous Beira Lake, a landmark in the capital city, is today a vibrant complex comprising the Gangaramaya temple, the ‘seema malaka’ – an assembly hall for monks – in the picturesque Beira Lake and a vocational training institute. The temple […]
Galle National Museum (Church Street, Galle) — This building is one of the oldest structures in the forts and is from the early Dutch period. A long one-story building with a colonnaded front veranda, it is typical of Dutch colonial architecture of the time. This building was once the barracks for junior officials of the […]
Dutch Fort (65A Lighthouse Street, Fort, Galle) — Dutch Fort at Galle, close to the island’s southernmost point, 173km from Colombo, has the distinction of being the best-preserved sea fort in South Asia. A living heritage site, this 90 hectare (222 acre) attraction is a superb blend of architecture, with fortifications that resemble those in […]