Gangaramaya Temple: 4 Things You Should Not Miss!

Remember when I took you for a virtual tour of the Seema Malaka temple? A couple of meters away from it lies the Gangaramaya temple that can be visited using the same ticket that you bought for to visit the Seema Malaka temple.

In fact, if it hadn’t been for the guard pointing it out to us we may have just walked away without realizing that we would be missing out on visiting one of the most important temples in Colombo.

This temple is particularly interesting because from the outside the Gangaramaya temple looks like a well-designed modern structure. The inside however holds a number of ancient relics and a stupa.

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Gangaramaya Temple: Location, Entrance Fees & Etiquette

The Gangaramaya temple is located close to the Seema Malik Temple near Beira lake in Colombo 2. The entrance fees to the temple are 300 LKR per person and includes entrance to both this temple as well as the near by Seema Malik temple.

Like all Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka, the etiquette is the same. Behave courteously, cover your shoulders and your legs till below the knee and remove your hats/caps when entering. Foot ware needs to be deposited in the allocated spot at the entrance.

A stall at the entrance also provides you with a flyer that tells you about all the antiques that the complex houses. I recommend getting one. It serves as a great guide though spotting all the antiques is near impossible because there are so many. Some which are not listed on the flyer.

The Layout Of The Temple

While the Gangaramaya temple does not look like much from out, in reality the complex is huge. I was stuck at the entrance itself admiring the doors and the walls and the statues that I found myself hurrying towards the end because we had to meet a friend for lunch and we were short of time.

The temple does guide you in the general direction which you should go with arrows. I would advise following that so that you don’t miss out on anything. Also, be mindful that while you may be visiting the temple as a tourist, it is also an active site of worship.

Give way to the clergy and the people who have come to pray. Reminder that you are a guest and try to act accordingly. I add this because we saw a number of tourists who forgot this, and it was rather disrespectful.

Things To See Inside The Gangaramaya Temple

Inside the Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo.

My breath was taken away the moment I stepped inside the temple. While I would later go on to see similar art work in the Dambulla caves, the gorgeous work in the Gangaramaya temple deserves mentioning.

The walls were decorated with figurines surrounding a large meditating Buddha. I’m not sure what the figurines were made off. Most of them were larger than life and the background or the wall was decorated with intricate paintings.

The paintings however are less well restored as the figurines but are not any less impressive. When you manage to tear your eyes away, glance around. I was amazed at all the smaller statues and antiques that filled up the temple. It was a little hard to focus on a single item as there were so many things to look at.

1. The White Jade Buddha

The large white Jade Buddha in Gangaramaya Temple.

One of the biggest attractions in the Gangaramaya temple is the Buddha made of white Jade. Honestly, I was really looking for a tiny statue situated among the myriad of different antiques. The white Jade Buddha turned out to be an enormous statue which is sheltered under a canopy. You will see it on your right as soon as you head out of the temple.

2. The Museum

I’m not really sure whether it was a museum or a display of the offering since we did not have a guide but you can walk through a rather large exhibit of everything from furniture to watches. Even a stuffed (embalmed maybe?) elephant and tusks of other elephants lie in the display.

To tell you rather truthfully, the later made me very sad. A museum with a number of antique cars is also present. It is something that you may find interesting.

3. Stupas And More Relics

The gorgeous white stupa in Gangaramaya temple.

Another prominent part of the Gangaramaya temple is the stupa in the middle of the courtyard. It isn’t very large compared to many that you will see in other parts of Sri Lanka but it fits in very harmoniously with the temple. Painted white, the stupa catches your eye from almost every part of the complex.

As you wander around you will find your self next to a smaller stupa which also houses a relic next to it. A number of smaller altars exist and you can find yourself spending a lot of time analyzing each one.

4. The Halls

Another sector of the Gangaramaya temple held large halls. I don’t know if it was just because we visited on a Sunday or whether it is regular thing but this section was filled with children being taught about Buddhism or so I assumed. It had a very similar theme to how we as Christians went for Catechism when we were children.

I really wish I had more time to spend in the Gangaramaya temple. It intrigued me and despite the crowds that flowed through it, I found the temple peaceful.

Have you been to the Gangaramaya temple? Tell us about your experience in the comments below

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