Sri Lanka is a land that is renowned for temples and sacred sites and interestingly, one doesn’t have to always wander far from Colombo to discover wondrous temples.
Introduction
Seema Malaka is one of the temples located at the heart of metropolitan Colombo. Unlike most temples, this one is used for meditation and rest as opposed to worship. It is situated on the iconic Beira Lake, nearby to many Colombo hotels with examples like Cinnamon Grand Colombo.
History
The current temple is actually the second one that was built. The original, which was constructed late in 19th century, was consumed by the lake. World renowned architect, Geoffrey Bawa, was enlisted in 1976 to build a new temple, which was constructed in the 1970s.
Construction
The look of the current temple was inspired by many of the ancient monasteries in areas such as Anuradhapura and Ritigala. The temple consists of three platforms which are connected through pontoon bridges to the mainland. One of the most striking aspects of the temple is the roof, which was made using blue tiles.
Notable Features
There are many Buddha statues to be found within the temple, notably two Golden Buddhas at the entrance. There’s also a Bodhi tree that was once a branch of the sacred tree in Anuradhapura.
Roland Lefevre is a travel writer who specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe.
