On the tree shadow splashed Sri Jinarathana Road, Colombo 2 hides the indomitable Gangarama Temple. I spent a day exploring this extraordinary complex that is more like a city within a city.
As I hate sitting in traffic I decide to bike to this holy of holiest and when I lock up my bike on the other side of the road to the temple I am amazed to discover machinery and vehicles dating back to the 1800’s, the most interesting one being the Aveling and Porter steam roller. Some may know the company as Aveling-Barford, which is what it currently runs under. There are two main entrances and after taking off my shoes I pay a small fee, more of a donation for the upkeep of the temple.
Special Spiritual Magic
Some sort of special spiritual magic occurs as the noise of the busy street vanishes as one sets fort onto this sacred ground. The temple, is actually more than a sacred spot to worship, it contains a library, museum, vocational training centre, elders home and operation base for many core Buddhists activities island-wide.
Forgetting about all the treasures that lie in store inside the temple, Gangarama is famous for the Navam Perahera that happens on the Poya day (Full moon day) of every February. It is a two-day event that draws thousands of people from around the country and the world. Having begun in 1979, the Navam Perahera elephant parade with ritual dances through the street has grown into one of the most spectacular displays of culture, colour and energy, in the Buddhist world. Throughout the two days on which the procession happens, there are long lines of dancers, elephants, instrumentalists and the all-important newly ordained ‘Bhikkus’. The Bhikkus are fully-fledged monks and Gangarama is only one of three places in the country where they can be ordained to that spiritual level, explains the caretaker of the temple. The festival is said to bring several million people every year and elephants for the procession are brought in from all over the country. A sight not to be missed, but be careful don’t get too close to the elephants they have been known to get a bit mischievous if overwhelmed by the large crowds.
Once donated, it’s donated
Talking about elephants, the temple itself often has its own resident elephant and indeed one of the largest donations after passing away was stuffed and turned into a statue. It was originally donated to it by the people of a village, who then regretted the decision and saved all their money and offered the temple, money three times the elephants worth to buy it back, but the answer was NO. Well that seemed like a really good deal didn’t it? Why didn’t the monks take it? Well the temple has a very simple rule. Once donated, it’s donated. Everything that gets gifted to the temple stays there and goes to a higher level so can’t under any circumstances be returned.
The temple also houses a very rare 1930’s Mercedes Benz belonging to former president J R Jayawardene’s family. Being a unique model, in value, the car is said to be worth a small fortune. Lots of people have tried to buy it including Mercedes themselves offering the temple 20 new Mercedes Benz vehicles and millions of rupees in cash, truly an offer few could resist, but the wise monks said no, rules are rules. Today the car sits proudly in the courtyard, the sunlight beaming off its gold finishing’s, giving out its proud aura of heritage and history.
The most bizarre of such donated items is an X-ray machine which can be found in the museum, along with other priceless artefacts including, gems, ancient relics, compasses and even classic cameras only seen in black and white movies.
Stories of yesteryear
The temple also houses elder devotees and cares for them, who in turn dedicate their time to the upkeep of the temple and pluck flowers along the Beira at 5am in the morning. The elders living in the temple say its calm and fulfilling way to spend retirement, as several of them proceed along Navam Mawatha with flowers in bag, sharing their stories of yesteryear. As you walk around the temple, you’ll realize that it has a very ad-hoc structure due to constant improvements, additions, changes and expansions.
Every corner of the temple is lined with statues of varying size, colour and posture. Throughout the temple you will find different Buddhist objects, some made entirely of gold, the interior is completely bewildering and seems like a fantasy setting J K Rowling came up with. Most mind blowing is the statue cascade which is a tall staircase of Buddha statues, not seen anywhere else in the country.
Also attached to the temple but in a different location nearby is the ‘Seema Malaka’. Situated on the Beira Lake, linked to Navam Mawatha by a bridge donated by Japan, this Geoffrey Bawa designed masterpiece is a favourite spot for the spiritual types. Built in 1970, the temple’s design was the basis for the island’s parliament building in Sri Jayewardenepura. The temple is most significant because it is the starting point for the annual Navam Perahera. Open all year around, except Poya days, when it closes for 4 hours in the morning so that the monks can pray and make their vows, the temple is always a calm recluse from the urban bustle around the Beira Lake. Both locations are spaces where everyone is welcome, regardless of colour, caste or creed to experience the tranquillity and peace in the way that Buddhism inspires. A relaxed chat with one of the older monks can teach you much. If you’ve spent a long day biking around the city, meditation and even a simple walk through this treasure trove of artistry and merit can help cleanse your mind and soothe your senses and prepare you with lots more energy for more exploration the next day.
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