Negombo is a busy seaside town that offers an interesting mix of entertainment options and exploration sites to visitors. This coastal town is better known as a brief getaway which beachgoers and night owls like to frequent; nevertheless you can easily find plenty of religious and cultural sites to explore as well. Angurukaramulla Temple is one of those rare and beautiful places which are not on the typical tour route. If you’re enjoying a relaxing few days at one of the many luxurious Negombo hotels of repute such as Heritance Negombo, a short exploration of this 300 year old temple will be worth your while.
The Angurukaramulla Temple is better known for the six-metre statue of Gautama Buddha but there you will find so much more to explore and discern. Before you enter the dragon’s mouth, linger a little in the shade of many trees and greet the turtles that call the pond in the middle of the premises home. This serene and charming setting will prepare you for a temple visit with its own signature experience.
Once you enter the temple through the dragon’s mouth which incidentally is supposed to keep evil spirits at bay, you will see the moss covered derelict remains of a library that existed 300 years ago. However, it is the intricate murals and the sculpted beauty of the statues that will captivate your imagination. When you gaze at the well-preserved paintings etched on the ceiling, take your time and consider each detail for those relate Prince Siddhartha’s journey towards Buddhahood and enlightenment.
Some of the other frescoes depict legendary tales of ancient Sri Lankan rulers as told by the epic saga ‘Mahavamsa’, an ensemble of chronicles from the country’s history that goes back beyond 2,000 years.
Auburn Silver is a travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world. Google+