A visit to Kelaniya Temple | Embracing New Beginnings in 2024
For our first meetup in 2024, my fiancee and I wanted to visit Kelaniya Temple, which is one of the sacred places in the country. It's been so long since I last visited there, and we feel it is a perfect way to welcome the New Year with a positive vibe.
On the last Sunday, we went there at bout 9 a.m. Although it was still early in the morning, the temple premises were crowded with people. The first view of that morning was so mind-blowing.
Porminenet Teple with Beautiful Paintings: ///bets.inefficient.contact
The entrance itself gives you the sacred vibe and proud mentality about our ancestors. The amazing carvings, and structures, and the colorful paintings looked more beautiful with the sunshine.
The fresh smell of flowers, and the people who were dressed up in all white, worshiping here and there on the premises, the pleasant smell of incense Sticks, the bright lights of oil lamps, all brought a fresh feeling to us.
The entrance
The stupa was shining brightly in the sky and Boo tree leaves were dancing in the air. The chantings of the people around them added a great atmosphere. First, we offered our flowers to Lord Buddha, oiled lamps, and incense sticks, and worshipped and prayed. It was such a peaceful and perfect morning and we both felt that we started the new year in the best way.
The Kelaniya temple is very famous for its paintings on the walls. They were exquisite which shows the life stories of Lord Buddha and some important events of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Those paintings are the result of an amazing commitment by native artist Solias Mendis. I didn't take pictures as I didn't want to harm them in any way. But this article here has a nice collection of them if you are interested, Beautiful pictures of the temple and Paintings.
The Bo Tree and the Sthupa
A little dive into the history of Temple
Kelaniya is the third/ final visit of Lord Buddha to Sri Lanka after Mahiyanganaya and Nagadeepaya, after 08 years of his enlightenment. According to the historical records, Lord Bhudda was invited by Maniyakkitha around 580 BCE, and Lord Bhudda knew that Sri Lanka would be the country where the Vision of Bhudda would remain. And it is said that Lord Buddha visited Adams Peak also during the visit to Kalaniya, and located the footprint there.
It is said that the original Stupa was built with the gem-studded throne that Buddha sat on and preached and it was renovated by King Uttiya in around 307 BC after the arrival of arahat Mahinda. But with time the temple was destroyed time to time and this version was constructed in 1927 with the vision of Mrs. Helena Wijewardene.
The temple was located around 11km away from Colombo, near the Kelani River. Beside the temple, there's a small area developed with benches and so on. But I believe that that riverfront area can be turned into a more pleasant one with an amazing view. So, it will attract more tourists and increase the tranquility of the area. Anyway, we sat there for a little time and had our lunch.
We felt grateful, as we left the temple. We were grateful for the peaceful time, for the chance to embrace together, and for the start of 2024 on such a positive note.
Beside Kelani River
If you ever visit this beautiful island, don't forget to visit this gem of a place in the Colombo city!!
Until the next time! Enjoy!
Thank you.
Best Regards!
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Very enjoyable holiday. And it's a great place to visit.
Yes, it is... It's beautiful and unique in many ways... Thank you for your visit!!
Welcome
It was a great day together... 💖
It was indeed a lovely day!! 🖤
@damithudaya,
Wow, it sounds like you had an amazing experience visiting the Kelaniya Temple! The description of the temple and its surroundings is so vivid and beautiful. It must have been a truly peaceful and uplifting way to start the New Year. The paintings on the walls sound incredible, and it's great that you respected their significance by not taking pictures. Thank you for sharing your experience and the history of the temple. It's interesting to learn about its significance and the renovations it has undergone. The idea of developing the riverfront area to enhance the view and attract more tourists is a great suggestion. Overall, it sounds like a wonderful and meaningful visit.