Hotels near Gangaramaya Temple

Gangaramaya Temple has operated as a temple and monastic school on the eastern shore of Beira Lake since the late 19th century. The compound holds a stupa, a bodhi tree, a library and a museum crammed with donated objects: Buddha figures in jade and crystal, vintage cars, antique cameras, and the preserved tusks of a temple elephant. Entry costs LKR 500, about 1.50 EUR, and the same ticket covers Seema Malaka.

The clutter is the point. Nothing is curated in the museum sense, which is exactly why the collection reads as personal rather than institutional. Remove shoes and hats before entering the shrine rooms and cover shoulders and knees. The Navam Perahera procession sets out from here each February with dancers, drummers and decorated elephants circling the lake. Allow 45 minutes, or longer if the museum rooms hold you.

Pro Tip: Arrive before 9am for morning chanting, when the museum rooms are empty. Walk straight on to Seema Malaka afterwards, five minutes away on the same ticket.