Things to see and do Colombo

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.

The old Parliament of Colombo is a neo-baroque building inaugurated in 1930, located at the entrance of the Fort district, facing the sea. It was built during the British colonial period and was inaugurated in January 1930. Today it houses the Presidential Secretariat. It housed the Legislative Assembly until 1983, when the Parliament was moved to a new building in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. The garden in front of it houses bronze statues of Sri Lankan statesmen.

The World Trade Center (WTC Colombo or WTCC), consisting of two twin towers of 40 floors each, was the tallest building in Sri Lanka until 2017 at 152 m tall. The LLTE suicide bombing in January 1996 that killed 91 people and injured over 1,400, damaged the towers, which were under construction at the time. Inaugurated in 1997, the WTCC is the most important business centre in Colombo and the headquarters of several major national and international companies.

The Galle Face Green is a direct extension of Galle Road. This long grassy walk of almost 1 km was originally laid out by the Dutch to keep the firing line of their cannons clear. Later, the British turned it into a racetrack and then a golf course. Today, Galle Face Green has become very popular for joggers and kite flyers. It is also a popular weekend stroll for families. At its southern end, the very elegant Galle Face Hotel is worth a visit.

Sale of packages for Cultural Triangle sites. Has strongly advised if there are only two of them: package at $ 40, while entry to Anura, Polo or Sigiriya costs $ 20.