Colombo is a city of sharp contrasts, where ancient spiritual sites sit in the shadow of rising glass skyscrapers. We spent our day navigating this mix of serene lakeside temples and the colonial-meets-modern energy of the business district.
We began our exploration at Beira Lake, home to the beautiful Seema Malaka. This assembly hall for monks was redesigned by the famous architect Geoffrey Bawa. The blue-tiled roofs and the rows of bronze Buddha statues create a peaceful atmosphere, even as the modern “MAGA” skyscraper rises in the background.
Just a short walk from the lake is the main Gangaramaya Temple. It is an eclectic museum of sorts, filled with jeweled statues and intricate artwork. The central shrine room is particularly striking, featuring a vibrant Buddha statue surrounded by ivory tusks and ornate chandeliers.
Later, we visited the Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam, a stunning Hindu temple characterized by its towering, colorful gopuram.
As the sun began to dip lower, we headed into the heart of the business district. The World Trade Center twin towers dominate the skyline here. Nearby, the grand Neo-Baroque Presidential Secretariat (the Old Parliament Building) looked magnificent bathed in the warm, directional light of the late afternoon.
We finished the day at the waterfront. The massive red cranes of the Colombo Port were silhouetted against a hazy sky, while the sun dipped toward the horizon over the Laccadive Sea. It was the perfect, quiet conclusion to a busy day in the capital.
