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Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara — Colombo

Cover photo: Tharaka Jayasuriya (Unsplash)

District

Colombo

Province

Western

Best for

Buddhist pilgrims and art lovers; famed murals and a reclining Buddha image

Map

See it on the map

About this place

Drive or bus 20-40 minutes from central Colombo toward Peliyagoda; daylight hours show the murals best. Entry is free and the January Duruthu Perahera is the big festival. Dress modestly and remove shoes and hats inside.

Visitor brief

Good to know before you go

• Dress modestly and remove shoes and hats inside; this is a major pilgrimage site.
• Daylight hours show the Solias Mendis murals best; the image house can be dim.
• The January Duruthu Perahera is spectacular but very crowded; book transport ahead.
• Full-moon Poya days are busy and colourful; go early morning for calm.
• Combine with a Colombo city day; the temple sits by the Kelani river.

How to travel there

20-40 min drive or bus from central Colombo toward Peliyagoda; tuk-tuk from the Kelaniya junction.

Where to stay

Stay in Colombo (Fort/Kollupitiya) and visit as a half-day trip; limited lodging near the temple.

Nearby places

Pettah Market and Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque, Colombo National Museum, Kelani riverbank, Wolvendaal Dutch Church (Colombo)

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