Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara

Lonely Planet review

Most of Colombo's Buddhist temples date from the late 19th-century Buddhist Revival, a period when Sri Lankan Buddhists resisted the flooding of the island by Christian missionaries. The most important Buddhist centre is the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara. Even if the thought of seeing yet another temple sends you reaching for the arrack, this one is worth the effort.

The original temple was destroyed by Indian invaders, restored, destroyed again by the Portuguese, and restored again in the 18th and 19th centuries. It's mostly known for its very fine reclining Buddha. The dagoba, which (unusually) is hollow, is the focus of the Duruthu Perahera (Duruthu Procession) in January each year. To reach the temple take bus 235 from in front of the traffic-police station, which is just northeast of the Bastian Mawatha bus station.