Eclectic and curious temple-museum
The Gangaramaya Temple is by far Colombo's most famous Buddhist temple, at least among tourists, and is worth a visit for its sheer eccentricity. The temple was founded over a century ago as a institute to train young monks but has been run for decades by some of Sri Lanka's most politically and socially-connected monks, a fact evident in the temple-museum's collection of classic cars (Rolls Royce and Mercedes)and extravagant gifts like jewelry, gold, and an endless array of relics, statues, and icons.
When you enter the temple complex, you'll pass through an initial hall featuring a large seated Buddha flanked by two massive elephant tusk and ornate frescoes. This area is reminiscent of many other traditional Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka, but as soon as you leave the chamber, all semblance with the traditional immediately evaporates. You make your way through a museum section with innumerable glass cases featuring every kind of temple offering imaginable (from vintage sunglasses to precious stones), a Chinese section featuring a near-endless line of small shrines, each filled with dozens of Buddha statues from around Asia, and finally a terraced outdoor area with bronze statues of sitting Buddhas and stupas reminiscent of those found in the famous Borobudur site in Indonesia.
