George Keyt’s Mural in Gothami Viharaya (බොරැල්ල ගෝතමී විහාරය)

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Birth of prince Siddhartha at Borella Gothami Viharaya (බොරැල්ල ගෝතමී විහාරය)

Gothami Viharaya in Borella is world-renowned for its stunning modern murals by George Keyt. These 1930s paintings depart from traditional styles, blending cubism with Buddhist themes. They depict the Buddha’s life through bold lines and vibrant forms, making it a mandatory stop for art lovers and spiritual travelers.

Gothami Vihara, located on Gothami Road in Colombo, was established on a 2-acre (about 0.8-hectare) plot of land donated in 1900 to the Buddhist educator Dodanduwa Piyaratne Thero, a prominent monk credited with founding the first Buddhist school in Sri Lanka. Today, the temple offers a peaceful spiritual refuge amid the bustle of the city and is especially renowned for the remarkable frescoes in its shrine room painted by the celebrated artist George Keyt (17 April 1901 – 31 July 1993), widely regarded as one of the most distinguished modern painters in Sri Lanka.

Founding and Construction

The temple was built with the support of its principal benefactor, Apolonia de Soysa Peiris, the mother of Sir James Peiris, a leading figure in the Sri Lankan Independence Movement. With donations made for the temple, the foundation for the residence of the monks was laid in 1919, and construction was completed in 1925. The foundation for the dagoba was laid in 1929, and upon completion it was opened for public veneration in 1944.

George Keyt’s Murals

Lady Apolonia’s grandson, Harold Peiris—who was married to the sister of George Keyt—invited his brother-in-law to paint murals depicting the life of the Gautama Buddha inside the shrine room in 1939. It is said that Keyt undertook this work without charging for his labor and completed the paintings in 1941.

To facilitate the murals, the temple walls were redesigned by the noted architect Andrew Boyd. Keyt initially created line drawings directly on the whitewashed walls using dark brown pigment. Later, at the request of the chief prelate, Ven. Thelwatte Amarawansa Thero, the artist, colored these drawings using a technique known as burnt sienna.

Themes and Artistic Style

The murals portray the life story of the Buddha, beginning with the invitation of the gods, followed by the dream of Queen Mahāmāyā, the birth of Prince Siddhartha, his marriage to Princess Yaśodharā, the birth of his son Rāhula, the attainment of enlightenment, the first sermon, and finally the parinirvāṇa of the Buddha. Unlike many Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka, depictions of Jātaka stories are notably absent from the murals at Gothami Vihara.

George Keyt’s artistic style is strongly influenced by cubism. He also acknowledged inspiration from his contemporary Henri Matisse and from ancient Buddhist artistic traditions associated with Nagarjunakonda, Sanchi, and Gandhara. Among the most striking paintings in the temple is the fresco depicting the Buddha’s confrontation with Māra at the moment of enlightenment, which beautifully illustrates the fusion of these stylistic influences.

Mural of Mara Parajaya of Borella Gothami Viharaya (බොරැල්ල ගෝතමී විහාරය)

Murals of Borella Gothami Viharaya (බොරැල්ල ගෝතමී විහාරය)

Birth of prince Rahula at Borella Gothami Viharaya (බොරැල්ල ගෝතමී විහාරය)

Borella Gothami Viharaya (බොරැල්ල ගෝතමී විහාරය)

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