Colombo Cultural Tour

Colombo Cultural Tour

Meet at the floating Gangarama Buddhist temple, Seema Malaka on Beira Lake. Travel by tuk tuk to Sri Ponnambalam Vanesar Kovil, an intricately carved granite Hindu temple, a short walk from St. Anthony’s Shrine, a national Catholic monument where you can hear the story of Anthony of Padua. Follow a chain of flower garland kades (shops) into the cacophony of Pettah life and the smell of Indian short eats sold from local stalls. Pass by the old town hall, an eye-catching neo-gothic building and Kayman’s Gate, a more inconspicuous Dutch bell tower, before finishing your walk outside Jami Ul-Afar Mosque whose exterior resembles a pomegranate.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Seema Malakaya Temple, Sir James Pieris Mawatha, Colombo Sri Lanka

Seema Malaka was originally constructed in the late 19th century. It is a center for Meditation. The original structure slowly sank into the water in 1970s. In 1976, Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa was brought in to redesign and construct the temple, which stands today.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Sri Ponnambalam Vanesar Kovil, Kotahena, Colombo Sri Lanka

The Hindu Temples of Sri Lanka usually do not resemble the ancient Indians temples with their elaborate and detailed sculptures and solid black granite construction. This is doubly true for the capital city of Colombo which does not have many old Hindu temples. However, there is one temple dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva; which while not being too old, is still a peerless example of ancient Dravidian architecture. And that temple is Sri Ponnambala-waneswaram Temple.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: St Anthony's Shrine, St Anthony's Mawatha Kochchikade, Colombo Sri Lanka

One of the city’s most interesting shrines is St Anthony’s Church. Outside it looks like a typical Portuguese Catholic church, but inside the atmosphere is distinctly subcontinental. There are heaving queues of devotees offering puja (offerings or prayers) to a dozen ornate statues; a likeness of St Anthony said to be endowed with miraculous qualities is the centre of devotions from people of many faiths.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque, Second Cross Street, Colombo 01100 Sri Lanka

Jami-Ul-Alfar Mosque known colloquially as the Samman Kottu Palli, Rathu Palliya, Red Masjid or the Red Mosque) is a historic mosque in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is located on Second Cross Street in Pettah. The mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Colombo and a popular tourist site in the city.

Duration: 20 minutes