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Published: July 13th 2015
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We decided to do our own thing today. We found that the security was very tight in the city due to the fact that the second in command of the Tamil Tigers in the north was shot early this morning. We were security checked everywhere we went and were not allowed to photograph the clock tower, the world trade centre or any other politically sensitive areas.
We tried to post a blog in a flash hotel, but had a problem with it appearing in Korean and nothing we could do could fix it (despite us both being computer literate) so we aborted.
We decided to hire a taxi for the rest of the day to take us to see the major sights of the Colombo. First stop was the Buddhist Temple of Gangaramaya which is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Colombo, started by the famous scholar monk Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayaka Thera in the late 19th Century. The 120-year-old Gangaramaya is not the typical Sri Lankan temple. Situated in bustling inner-city Colombo, close to the scenic Beira Lake, this temple complex is not only a hugely popular tourist attraction, but also a place of worship and a
learning and vocational training center. The temple is celebrated for its lavish architecture and statues showcasing Sri Lankan, Chinese, Thai, Burmese and many other artistic styles. The exterior of the temple is boldly decorated in elaborate designs and golden adornments. The temple grounds are black slate tiled, with various statues—Buddha, lion, nymph—and china vases placed randomly.
Two medium-height golden Buddha statues stand like sentinels at the door leading to the main sanctuary of the temple. The door itself is an impressive work of craftsmanship, with intricate wood carvings of elephants and swans reminiscent of the island’s ancient artisans. The temple’s main sanctuary houses a massive Buddha statue in meditation pose flanked by statuettes of heavenly creatures. The ceilings are enchantingly decorated with vibrant pastel paintings depicting Buddhist stories. The columns of the sanctuary are breathtakingly festooned with traditional Sri Lankan art. We watched as many white-clad devotees went through the main sanctuary to offer colorful lotuses to the Buddha and exit out into the courtyard to light oil lamps and burn incense. There is a distinguishable stepped wall out here with many stone statues of the Buddha and Stupas (dome shaped shrines). The Bodhi tree and the courtyard of
the coral-white Stupa are excellent places to sit and relax.
The temple’s most distinguishing feature is its treasure-trove museum that holds an innumerable number of Buddha statues from all over the world along with statues of Hindu gods, old watches, Dutch coins and many other antique collectibles. The temple museum proudly houses the smallest Buddha statue on the island, carefully encased in a glass box, which visitors can view with a magnifying class. Most of the bejeweled and shiny trinkets here are gifts from devotees to the temple’s head monk, Ven. Galaboda Gnanissara Thero, one of the island’s most recognizable religious figures, who assumed administration of the Gangaramaya as a 16-year-old novice monk. An ardent traveler, the temple is overrun by outlandish souvenirs Gnanissara Thero has gathered from places he’s been to, such as a “hip” Buddha statuette sporting a pair of sunglasses. The venerable monk is also an antique car lover and visitors can marvel at his collection of old Rolls-Royces and Mercedes, including Sri Lanka’s very first Mercedes.
Next our driver took us to the the Hindu Temple. It was also fairly centrally located, just behind the Fort Railway Station would not have been easy to
find without our driver - we wound our way through a maze of narrow, busy streets to find it. Known simply as the "Hindu Temple" its real name is Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam Kovil. This is the oldest and largest Hindu temple in Colombo and is dedicated to the Gods Shiva and Ganesh. The temple is absolutely beautiful and has large numbers of brightly painted sculptures of different Hindu gods and goddesses on its exterior. The architecture is pretty impressive.
Once back in the taxi we headed for our next stop. On the way the driver stopped to allow us to take a closer look at a snake charmer who was on the roadside. M was very wary but we managed to take a couple of photos.
Our next stop was the Dutch Reformed Church which is the oldest Protestant church on the island. Protestantism was introduced in Sri Lanka in 1658 by Dutch missionaries after the Dutch defeated the Portugese on the island. When the Dutch took over there were already three religions was present, Buddhism, Hinduism and Catholicism. All Roman Catholic churches, schools, and monasteries were transferred to the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1796 the British
occupied the maritime province of Cylon. When the whole island became a British colony many Dutch protestants left and the church system collapsed.
Our final stop on our taxi tour was the National Independence Monument also known as the Independence Memorial Hall. It was built to commemorate the independence of Sri Lanka from British rule, with the restoration of full governing responsibility to a Ceylonese-elected legislature in February 1948. It is located at the Independence Square (formerly Torrington Square) in the
Cinnamon Gardens in Colombo. The monument was built at the location where the formal ceremony marking the start of self-rule, with the opening of the first parliament by HRH Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester took place.
We left our taxi driver and wandered around the streets of Colombo taking in the sights. Security was still very tight. We returned to the ship in the dark ready for our dinner.
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