The most beautiful temples to visit Sri Lanka

It is on the banks of the lake of Kandy, last capital of the Sinhalese kingdom, that was built at the beginning of the XVIIIth century, the Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth. Its construction was completely finished in 1782. The temple, which is part of the royal palace of Kandy, houses the relic of the "Sacred Tooth" of Buddha. The city, which dominates at an altitude of nearly 500 meters, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, partly because of this major site, a perfect example of religious fervor in the country.

The symbolism of the place

Behind this relic of the tooth, there is a whole symbolism. The story goes that it was saved from the flames of the funeral pyre in 543 BC. It would then have lived a long journey between Ceylon and India before ending its journey in the Kingdom of Kandy. This story is important for the Sri Lankan people, indeed, for years and still today, the possession of this tooth is synonymous with power. Legend has it that the holder of the tooth has the "divine right to rule the country". This is probably why it is so well guarded.

Over the years, the temple has undergone several reconstructions and renovations, notably following attacks in 1989 and 1998 (since then, security has been highly reinforced). Each time, the temple was rebuilt identically. Note that it took nearly four years to restore its luster to the site, heavily damaged by the attack of January 25, 1998. It is one of the most important Buddhist sites to visit in Sri Lanka.

Every day, the tooth is subjected to three ceremonies during which it is exposed by the monks. On Wednesday, the relic is carefully washed with sacred water, which is then used by the monks of the temple for its virtues.

The enclosure of the temple includes several buildings or places to visit

The Vahahitina Maligawa, the Alut Maligawa, the Sri Dalada Museum, the Mangul Maduwa and the Rahja Pavilion. The entrance fee gives you access to all of them, as well as the loan of an audioguide in French. You will walk around the site barefoot and must leave your shoes at the main entrance. Respectful dress is required.

The sanctuary (Vahahitina Maligawa). Composed of two levels, it is located in the center of a paved courtyard. It is in this sanctuary that the tooth of the Awakened One is located. The relic is kept on the upper level in seven golden boxes placed one inside the other. If you cannot approach the tooth, the room in which it is kept is worth a visit: the elephant tusks at the entrance are sublime. The passage in front of the tooth is possible every day, at a precise hour. The crowd present only allows a passage in line but the permanent spectacle of the devotees on the spot and the atmosphere which reigns around the reliquary are impressive.

Alut Maligawa and Sri Dalada Museum. Open every day from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm. On the other side of the shrine, by the opposite exit from your arrival, a three-story building. On the first floor, the Alut Maligawa contains about thirty Buddhas donated by Thai devotees. On the upper two floors, the Sri Dalada Museum is devoted to the display of objects related to the temple and the region as well as correspondence. You can also see a series of photos testifying to the attack perpetrated against the temple by the LTTE in 1998.

Rajha Tusker Museum (Rajha pavilion). Open daily from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm. Following the Mangul Maduwa. This pavilion is dedicated to the patriarch of the Kandy elephants, who died in 1988 at the age of 84. You will find his remains preserved here, behind a large glass case. Rajha, as he was called, traditionally carried the relic of the Tooth in the Esala Perahera procession and was given a state funeral.

Mangul Maduwa (Audience Hall). Exiting from the left side of the shrine, you come to the Audience Hall. It is an open hall with a roof supported by 65 carved wooden pillars. It was begun in 1783 but not finished until much later. It was here that the Kandyan chiefs ratified the cession of the kingdom to the British crown in 1815.

The Perahera festival (festival of the tooth), a colorful parade.

If the visit of this temple can be done all year long, it is during the festival of Perahera, that it is all the more interesting. This festival exists since the 18th century, when the relic of the tooth was still in the possession of the King of Kandy. The people, then, never had the opportunity to see it and thus to venerate it. It is for this reason that King Rajasingh, decided to organize an event during which, the people could also come to honor this tooth.

Since then, every year at the same time of the year (end of July - beginning of August), and this for 10 days, at nightfall, the holy city of Kandy reveals another facet. On the program: first big stage of the festival, during which the jackfruit is cut into 4 pieces before being planted (each part represents a deity). Then, it is from the 6th night that the festival begins to beat its fullness: dancers, musicians, elephants dressed and made up parade for the greatest happiness of the crowd. People come to see the many elephants parade, the oldest of them, carrying a replica of the relic, security forces. The ceremony ends during the day.

In the heart of the island and a wild nature, this exceptional site, perched on a hill, is classified as a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1991. This temple-cave has been a high place of pilgrimage and Buddhist meditation for over twenty centuries. Its origin dates back to the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. This cave monastery impresses for the way it has been preserved: the state of its murals dating from the 13th century (period of the Kandy kings) and recounting the life of Buddha are a perfect example. These frescoes cover a total of 6,000^m2 of walls. Between the twelfth and eighteenth centuries, the temple was transformed, it has undergone many restorations that have made it a sanctuary of color, gold and silver with a total of 5 caves, housing 157 statues.

The origin of this temple dates back to the 1st century BC, when King Vattagamani Abhaya, who fled Anuradhapura to seek refuge in Dambulla in 104 BC, created the cave complex when his title was restored. A huge golden Buddha, donated by Japanese benefactors in 2000, stands at the base of the site, overlooking the Buddhist Museum. The Golden Temple is actually reached some 150 m higher, by stairs on the left of the Buddhist Museum, carved in the stone and invaded by monkeys. The ascent is neither long nor exhausting, and, when the weather is good, the walk is particularly enjoyable.

The Golden Temple is a modern (and very kitsch) temple located at the base of Rock Temple. Its style is very different from the marvelous caves located higher... In short, its visit is dispensable. It was built in 2001 thanks to donations from Japanese benefactors and houses the Buddhist Museum. There are mainly reproductions of Rock Temple paintings and several statues and images of Buddha from local donations but also from all over Asia. Golden Temple is overlooked by a huge golden Buddha Statue.

Rock Temple

Once past the entrance, one enters a vast and long outside courtyard offering a superb view of the area. On the other side of the courtyard, under the rock, a passageway, whose architecture was reworked in 1938, allows individual access to each of the five rooms. Warning: shoulders and knees must be covered inside.

The finely executed frescoes that you are about to discover were renovated in the 13th century. They cover a total of 6,000 square meters of walls and are one of the richest examples of cave art in the world. They are completed by 157 statues (mainly of Buddha) of all sizes. The largest of the rooms measures 52 m by 23 m and 7 m high. The caves now transformed into sanctuaries are only a few of the 80 or so in the vast complex dug out over 22 centuries. The entrances to these "forgotten" caves were walled up as the history of the site progressed. The earliest records of the site date back to the first century AD, when King Vattagamani Abhaya, who had fled Anuradhapura in the face of Indian invaders, took refuge in these caves, which were already occupied by monks.

First hall (Dev Raja Viharaya - Temple of the King of Gods). It owes its name to the god Vishnu whose statue can be found inside. There is a large fresco representing the parinivana, i.e. the end of Buddha's earthly existence and his entry into nirvana, as well as a superb 15 m long statue of a reclining Buddha, and others represented sitting

Second hall (Maha Raja Viharaya - Temple of the Great King). This is the largest hall. It is said to be named after its investigator, who is believed to be King Vattagamani Abhaya. Two statues of kings are placed inside, one of Valagamba, the other of Nissanka Malla, as well as several Hindu deities such as Kataragama, Ganesh, Vishnu and Wat Sama, no less than fifty-three statues of Buddha in various positions and a stupa surrounded by statues of seated Buddhas. The walls are entirely covered with frescoes representing the life of Gautama and the spread of Buddhism on the island.

Third hall (Maha Alut Viharaya - New Great Temple). It is the most recent one. It was built by order of King Kirti Sri Rajasinha whose statue can be seen near the entrance of the hall. There are two large statues of Buddha, one seated under an arch dominated by dragons, and one lying down reminiscent of the statue in Hall 1. One can also appreciate a collection of Buddhas carved in the rock of the hall, and many colorful frescoes representing many seated Buddhas

Fourth hall (Pascima Viharaya - Western Temple). One can contemplate about fifty statues of Buddha seated in meditation performing the dhyana mudra with his hands. The central statue is dominated by a magnificent torana painted in bright colors. Bring a lamp to admire the ceiling which is completely covered with paintings.

Fifth Hall (Devana Alut Viharaya - Second New Temple). This is the newest of the halls. Here too, there is a reclining Buddha, surrounded by numerous statues of reclining and standing Buddhas. Above two of them, one can notice Muchalinda in the form of a cobra, which protected Buddha during his meditation.

A Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Naga Pooshani Amman (Naga Meenakshi). Naga means 'snake' or 'cobra', but also refers to the original inhabitants of the island, worshippers of the snake god, who populated the west and north of Sri Lanka between the 6th century BC and the 3rd century. Legend has it that the building was built by a merchant who received a vision of the goddess while crossing the sea and that when the Portuguese demolished it in the 16th century, the statue of the goddess was hidden in a nearby tree. The temple was rebuilt in 1788.

Pidurangala is a rocky promontory, about 1 kilometre as the crow flies north of the Sigiriya fortress (3 kilometres by road). It houses an ancient Buddhist monastic complex, Pidurangala Cave Temple. This monastery was developed in the^5th century by King Kashyapa. Access is via the Pidurangala Vihara, a more recent temple, and then up some steep stairs to the ancient temple and its large reclining Buddha statue, then a bit of climbing to reach the top. From the top of the rock, the view on Sigiriya and the surroundings is fantastic.

This Buddhist temple is one of the most important in Colombo. It dates from 1885 and was founded by the monk Hikkaduwe Sri Sumanagala Nayaka Thera. It is composed of several buildings whose architecture uses Sri Lankan, Thai, Indian and Chinese styles. It is particularly representative of Buddhist temples in that it includes a main temple, a pagoda, a sacred tree symbolizing spiritual awakening(bodhi tree) and an assembly hall for the monks. The number of accumulated objects makes the place look like an antique market.

The temple was built to house a monk. Don Bastian, a wealthy shipowner, bought the swampy land and had it drained and refloated at great expense. The temple was built with the help of the community. The sacred tree comes from Anuardhapura and was planted by Don Bastian.

Since 1979, the Navam Perahera festival is held every year in February and is the most important religious event in Colombo. On this occasion, there is a big procession in front of the temple. This is led by an elephant carrying an altar in which a relic of Buddha is placed. The procession involves a hundred elephants, a multitude of monks, drummers, musicians, dancers... And a crowd that came in large numbers.

The Seema Malakaya Temple, located on the nearby Beira Lake, is attached to the Gangaramaya Temple. This one was financed by a Muslim patron. This group of temples reflects inter-religious tolerance.