Nallur Kovil, Jaffna
A towering Dravidian gopuram in the tradition of the great South Indian temple architecture, in Jaffna at the northern tip of the island. The evening puja fills the outer courtyard with conch shells, oil lamps and sacred ash. During the 25-day Nallur festival in August, it becomes one of the most intense pilgrimage concentrations in […]
Ritigala Forest Monastery
A ruined forest monastery in the dry-zone wilderness northwest of Minneriya, occupied by ascetic monks from the 1st century BC and now half-reclaimed by the forest that surrounds it. Stone meditation platforms, raised stone walkways, bathing pools. No gilded statues, no tourist infrastructure, almost no other visitors. The final section of road requires a 4WD […]
Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara
Just outside Colombo, Kelaniya is the site of one of the Buddha’s three recorded visits to Sri Lanka – and its interior Jataka murals are among the finest Buddhist narrative paintings in the country. The Duruthu Poya procession in January draws large numbers of pilgrims. Consistently bypassed by itineraries in a hurry to go south. […]
Kataragama
Buddhist, Hindu and Vedda shrines built around the sacred Menik Ganga river in the deep south. The Esala festival in July and August – fire-walking, kavadi and acts of devotion performed for genuine religious purpose rather than spectacle – is one of the most intense and honest religious events in Asia. The oil lamps reflected […]
Adam’s Peak (Sri Pada)
Adam’s Peak is simultaneously sacred to Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians – each tradition has its own name for the impression on the summit. The pre-dawn climb, with lanterns on the stone steps and thousands of people from all four traditions ascending together in the dark, is an experience with very few equivalents anywhere. The […]