Bellanwila Rajamaha Viharaya
Western Province
About Bellanwila Rajamaha Viharaya
Bellanwila Rajamaha Viharaya, amid the wetlands of Colombo's southern suburbs, holds one of Buddhism's most venerable living lineages: its great Bo tree is revered as one of the thirty-two saplings that sprang from the Sri Maha Bodhi of Anuradhapura over two thousand years ago - lost to the jungle for centuries and rediscovered, tradition says, by a miraculous sign. Around that tree has grown one of the capital's most loved temples: a modern image house with a celebrated cycle of murals by the artist Somabandu Vidyapathi, serene courtyards busy with white-clad devotees on poya days, and a resident scholarly tradition long engaged with the city's life. Each year the temple's Esala perahera fills the suburb with drummers, dancers, and caparisoned elephants in Colombo's finest procession after the Navam. With the Bellanwila-Attidiya marshes alongside - herons commuting over the stupa - it makes a gentle half-day with birdsong included.
Top Activities
- ✓The ancient-lineage Bo tree
- ✓Somabandu murals in the image house
- ✓Poya-day devotions
- ✓The annual perahera
- ✓Birdlife of the adjoining marshes
Nearby Attractions
Travel Tips
Poya evenings show the temple as the neighbourhood knows it.
Dress modestly; it's a deeply local place of worship.
Combine with a walk along the Attidiya marsh edge for the birds.
Quick Info
Best Time
Year-round; poya days for atmosphere
Weather
Warm; evenings and poya nights are the temple at its best.
Estimated Daily Budget
6.8464°N, 79.8925°E
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