The rarely visited temple of Dadagemuwa near Gampaha has a so-called Vatadage from the late Kandyan period. Untypically, this Vatadage is quadrangular building. Therefore, a more correct term to describe it would be Chetiyagara, which translates to „stupa house“, as it is a roofed shrine with a stupa in it. “Vatadage” translates to “round house”, as most Sinhalese temple buildings containing stupas are of a circular ground plan. The pillars of the Dadegamuwa Vatadage’s porch are in the Western colonial style, which was prevalent in the coastal plains. Like for many Sinhala names, there are various English transliterations of „Dadegamuwa“, for example „Dadagamuwa“.

Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo is considered a must-see by lonely planet:

It’s true that Colombo has become more attractive in recent years. In particular, it’s Sri Lanka’s best place for culinary journeys and shopping. However, you should not expect a city as vibrant and charming as Bangkok or Beijing or Delhi or as modern as Singapore or Dubai. Honestly, there are reasons to doubt that Colombo is the best choice for an itinerary. The reason is: Risks are high to spend a lot of time in traffic jams. A rationale is simply this: The time for your holidays in Sri Lanka is limited. Is a day in the city of Colombo more rewarding that sightseeing at another destination that you would not be able to see when visiting Colombo? The answer could be „no“ in case you want to see the beauty of Sri Lanka. The answer will be „yes“, if you think: But the only megacity of the island nation is good a change, and even if there are more rewarding destinations, the itinerary should be rich in variety.

Find our comprehensive report on Colombo's attractions here...  

Muturajawela, also spelt Muthurajawela,  is one of the most recommendable destination for those who spend an afternoon in Negombo. For example, many travellers arriving at Colombo International Airport in the morning and staying the first night of their holidays in Negombo would have time enough to do this excursion.

The marshland of Muturajawela, covering about 20 square kilometers, is located in a river delta at the southern end of the Negombo Lagoon. They form Sri Lanka’s largest saline coastal peat bog. The biodiversity of the brackish mangrove forest and wetlands is inhabited by  192 plant species and 311 animal species, including 102 bird species, many of them seasonal migrants. Crocodiles occur but are rarely seen. Chances to observe water monitors, the world’s longest second largest species of scaled reptiles.  Boat tours in the Muturajawela wetlands start at the Marsh Conservation Centre, which is located further south at the Dutch chanel.

The small village of Aluthapola not far from Colombo International Airport has a typical Sinhalese cave tempel which is recognized as an archaeological protected monument. The Buddhist temple is a destination for detours from Negombo in particular. The caves are decorated with somewhat gaudy modern Buddha sculptures. The setting of the temple is quite picturesque. You can easily combine the visit of the Aluthapola cave temple with a trip to the Buddha statue of Galkanda.

Faxian Cave is a rarely visited temple and archaeological site in Kalutara District, to the north of Sinharaja Rain Forest. The Sinhala translation of Faxian (Fa Hsien) is „Pahiyan“, the rock is therefore alson known as „Pahiyangala“. The cave is named after the famous Buddhist scholar and pilgrim Faxian from China, who also visited Sri Lanka and studied in Anuradhapura. He is said to have spent some months in the cave when he visited the Holy Mountain Siri Pada (Adam’s Peak). Pahiyangala is of utmost archaeological significance, as it is the finding place of 33,000 years old human fossilized skeletal remains of the Balangoda culture from the Late Pleistocene.

Kelaniya Rajamaha Viharaya, simply known as Kelaniya Temple, is the most important Buddhist place of worship in Sri Lanka’s Western Province. Kelaniya is a suburb of Colombo, situated on the opposite side of the Kelaniya river. The ancient Pali names of the temple, the town and the river is Kalyani. This name is well known from the history of Myanmar (Burma), as it remembers the most significant monastic reform in Myanmar’s Buddhist order. In the 15th century a new line of ordination was introduced by Southeastasian monks having received higher ordination in Kelaniya.

The temple flourished during the Kotte era in the 15th century, when the Sinhalese capital shifted to the area of Colombo for the first time. But Kelaniya, like most temples in the coastal plains of Sri Lanka, was destroyed by the Portuguese invaders who promoted Christianity in a violent way. Today’s temple at the historical site is from the late 19th century. The main shrine is an image house. It’s famous for it’s murals, some of them are in the Kandyan style, large paintings are from Solias Mendis, Sri Lanka’s most important artist in the first half of the 20th century.     

The Kelaniya sanctuary attracts Buddhist and Hindu worshippers alike. The place is said to have been hallowed by a visit of Lord Buddha at the beginning of his third and final stay on the island. Even earlier on, the demon Vibhishana, brother and successor of the mythical King Ravana, took his residence in Kelaniya. He was rewarded with the kingship by Lord Rama, whom he helped to liberate his wife Sita from captivity in Ravana’s kingdom. This story is told in the Indian Ramayana epic. Vibhishana became the guardian deity of the west of the island. He is also venerated by Sinhalese Buddhists. The Vibhishana temple just in front of the main shrine of Kelaniya attracts pilgrims from India, too.

Maligathenna Rajamaha Viharaya, situated in the village of Malwatuhiripitiya, is one of the many ancient cave temples of an area historically known as Siyane Korale. Though located not far from Gampaha and near the A1 mainroad from Colombo to Kandy, the archaeological sites of Siyane Korale are rarely visited by foreigners, because they are not mentioned in ordinary pocket guides. However, Maligathenna as well as Pilikuththuwa and Varana and Petthagangala are extraordinarily beautiful sites and well worth a detour.

Maligathenna is the highest hill in Gampaha District. The monastery officially recognized as an archaeological site is located at ist eastern foot. The history of Maligathenna Rajamaha Viharaya goes back to the early times of Buddhism on the island. According to Brahmi inscriptions found in the nearby temples of Pilikuththuwa and Varana, the temples of the Siyane Korale served as abode of reclusive Buddhist monks as early as in pre-christian centurues. The temples are ascribed to Valagamba, the famous king known as Vatthagamni Abhaya in the ancient chroinicles. Maligathenna is said to have served as one of his hiding places during his years in forced exile from Anuradhapura. However, many cave entrances can be dated to the late Anuradhapura period.

Another legend has it, that Maligathenna Rajamaha Viharaya was a place honoured by the presence of the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha, which is now enshrined in Kandy. When the Christian King Don Juan Dharmapala of Kotte helped the Portuguese to destroy Buddhist culture, the guardian of the Sacred Tooth brought this national palladium to Maigathenna for safekeeping for a while.

The main temple complex of Maligathenna consists of two terraces called Pahala Maluwa and Ihala Maluwa. On the very top of the Maligathenna hill is a stupa plus the site of an ancient Bo-tree.

Seethawakapura, also known under its former name Avissawella, is crossed by tourists travelling from Colombo to Ratnapura or from the southwestern beaches to adventure holiday destination Kitulgala. Not many travellers take a break at Seethawakapura. To be honest, the town is not a must-see. But apart from typical Buddhist temples with modern buildings and paintings, there is one ancient site in the suburbs of Seethawakapura. The Berendi Kovil, also known as Barandiya Kovil, was the main temple of the former Sinhalese capital Seethawaka (Sitavaka). It’s one of the rare archaeologival sites of the 16th century in Sri Lanka. Modern Hindu pilgrims from India consider this temple to be a place visited by Lord Rama.

Koskandawala, formally recognized as an archaeological site, is one of the ancient rock temples in the rural region of Siyane Korale in Gampaha District to the northeast of Colombo. It’s situated in between the larger ancient complexes of Pilikuttuwa, Maligathenna and, a little bit farer away, Warana. The full name of the tempe is Koskandawala Sri Sunandarama Pirivena Raja Maha Viharaya.

Traditionally, Attanagalla Rajamaha Viharaya in Gampaha District has been considered to be the place where King Sirisanghabo beheaded himself in order to help a poor peasant. The most comprehensive account of this story is told in the chronicle of the Attanagalla monastery. It’s the most famous royal legend of Sri Lanka. The narrative of King Sirisanghabo’s self-sacrifice resembles that of Jataka stories. Jatakas are canonical stories about previous incarnations of the historical Buddha. His self-sacrifices in his previous lies were the reason why his Karma was good enough to find enlightenment and become a Buddha in his final incarnation. Sirisanghabo‘s self-beheading in favour of a fellow being thus is the story of a future Buddha. The king thereby turnes out to be a Bodhisattva, a being that will become a Buddha in a future incarnation. As the site of a Bodhisattva, Attanagalla is an extraorinarily holy place in Sri Lanka. The architecture is by and large modern and the decorations are gaudy. However, there is a unique roofed Vatadage in the centre of the compund that dates from the Kandy period.