A Buddhist meditation temple built on three platforms over Beira Lake, designed by architect Geoffrey Bawa in 1976 to replace an earlier structure lost to development. Walkways connect pavilions holding Buddha statues brought from Thailand and Myanmar, with the lake water doubling as a quiet buffer from the city traffic just meters away. It's one of the few Bawa-designed public buildings open to visitors without an entry fee. It is at Colombo's Galle Face, close to the other main sights. At 30-45 minutes and free entry, it works well slotted between larger visits rather than as a standalone destination.
What It Is
You cross a narrow walkway over the lake into a cluster of open-sided pavilions, where rows of seated Buddha statues face the water and the city noise fades to almost nothing.
Why Visit
It's the clearest example in Colombo of Geoffrey Bawa's tropical modernist style, and it sits directly on the walking route between Fort and Galle Face Green. It is not the first thing you should see in Colombo, but with two or more days it fills a gap the major sights leave. It pairs naturally with Galle Face Green and Gangaramaya Temple - add it before or after without rearranging your day. Mornings are quieter if you want to take your time.
More on Colombo
It is in the Galle Face part of Colombo. It is one entry in our list of things to do in Colombo. The Colombo guide covers transport, costs and when to go.
We plan trips to Colombo and the rest of Sri Lanka. Tell us your dates and we will put a route together. Our routes are on the tours page.
