Gangaramaya Temple

Gangaramaya is a Buddhist temple in Colombo near Beira Lake in Sri Lanka, recognized as one of the country's most important religious sites. The grounds include a sanctuary with gilded statues, a museum filled with donations and religious artifacts, a library holding Buddhist texts, and several halls for teaching and community events.

A Buddhist scholar named Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayaka Thera founded the temple in the late 19th century as a small structure at the edge of the lake. Over the following decades, the site expanded through numerous donations and transformed into a large religious and social center for the city.

The name derives from the nearby Gangarama pond and the Pali word for monastery, referring to monastic communities. Many locals come on weekends to meditate and pray, while Buddhist holidays like Vesak attract especially large numbers of worshippers.

Shoulders and knees must be covered when visiting, and shoes should be removed before entering the buildings. Silence is requested in prayer and meditation spaces so that others can worship in peace.

The museum holds the smallest Buddha statue in Sri Lanka, which can only be viewed with a magnifying glass. The figure is so tiny that visitors often need to look several times before they can spot it.