Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara

Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara is regarded as one of the three holiest Buddhist sites in Sri Lanka, alongside Anuradhapura and Kataragama. According to the Mahavamsa chronicle, the Buddha visited this site during his third and final trip to Sri Lanka in approximately 500 BCE and preached to the Naga king Maniakkhita. The current temple buildings date from the 18th and 19th centuries, though a shrine has stood here continuously for over two millennia. The interior walls are covered with detailed murals painted by artist Solias Mendis in the 1930s, depicting scenes from the Buddha's life and Sri Lankan Buddhist history. The compound also holds a 12-metre-high dagoba (stupa) and several smaller shrines. The Duruthu Perahera procession in January, one of the largest in the Western Province, draws thousands of pilgrims. Visit on a weekday morning and avoid full-moon (poya) days if you prefer smaller crowds.