Sightseeing in Colombo | AmazingLanka.com

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Old Parliament Building - Colombo, Sri Lanka — Old Parliament Building – Colombo, Sri Lanka
published under CC licence by Kesara Rathnayake (kesara.lk)

Colombo is the commercial capital of Sri Lanka and lies on the west coast of the island approximately 38 km from the Bandaranayake International Airport (BIA) at Katunayake.

Colombo’s natural harbor was known by the ancient traders for over 2000 years due to its strategic position on the east-west sea trade route. Colombo offers you a mixture of modern life with historical and natural sites few other cities can offer.

Galle Face Green

Galle Face, one of Colombo’s most iconic landmarks, traces its origins back to the Dutch and later the British colonial periods, when it was originally laid out as a place for military use and recreation.

Today, it is a seaside promenade stretching half a kilometer along the coast in the heart of Colombo’s financial and business district. Galle Face Green now spans a 5-hectare ribbon of land between Galle Road and the Indian Ocean, making it the largest open public space in the city. It has long been a favorite destination for families, children, vendors, teenagers, couples, kite flyers, and anyone wishing to enjoy the sea breeze beneath the open sky. On weekends—particularly Saturday and Sunday evenings—the area comes alive with picnickers, day-trippers, and food vendors. Bordering the Green are two iconic hotels: the modern Ceylon Inter-Continental at one end and, at the other, the historic Galle Face Hotel, one of Sri Lanka’s oldest and most celebrated establishments, admired for its colonial-era charm with antique furnishings, hand-carved doors, spacious balconies, and lofty ceilings.

Old Parliament Building ⤴

This is a Neo-Baroque-style building built in 1930 to house the Legislative Council of Ceylon during the British occupation of the country. This building was used as the parliament after independence until 1983, when the parliament was moved to the new building at Sri Jayawardhanapura, Kotte. Currently, it houses the Presidential Secretariat.

The building lies in front of Galle Face Green, facing the sea.

Galbokka Lighthouse ⤴

The Colombo Galbokka Lighthouse in Sri Lanka is operated and maintained by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. It is located at Galbokka Point south of the Colombo harbor on the waterfront along the Marine Drive in Colombo Fort. The name “Galbokka” or “Gal Bokka” (rocky bay) was given to this rocky knoll by the fisherman in the old days. The British called it “Galle Buck.”

The lighthouse was built in 1952 with a height of 15 meters (Sailing Directions (Enroute) for India and the Bay of Bengal, 1989) after the Old Colombo Lighthouse was deactivated when its light became obscured by nearby buildings. The seaward side of the tower is painted in a black-and-white checkered pattern.

Gangaramaya Temple ⤴

The beautiful Gangaramaya Temple is famous for its imposing buildings and is complete with a chetiya, bo tree, image house, Simamalaka, relic chamber containing the relics of the Buddha and Arahat Seevali, museum, library, pirivena, and residential, education and alms halls. It is decorated with stone carvings, brass work and many other forms of Buddhist art.

It contains row upon row of Buddha statues in the meditating pose, alongside miniature stupas arranged like a staircase. ( more …. )

Commonwealth War Memorial at the Vihara Mahadevi Park ⤴

The British built this Cenotaph War Memorial as a tribute to the armed forces of Commonwealth countries who made the supreme sacrifice during World War I. This memorial was initially built on the Galle Face Green in the 1920s, but it was dismantled during World War II for fear of being used as a marker by the Japanese for aerial attacks. After the war this memorial was moved to the Viharamahadevi Park and rebuilt again.

Even though a number of war memorials are found in Sri Lanka, this is considered the primary war memorial.

Independence Hall ⤴

This hall was built to commemorate the freedom from British Rule lies in a tranquil surrounding in Colombo. It was built to have a seating capacity of 25,000 on the assembly ground. From the beginning, this memorial was built to be worthy of the glorious history of the country.

But the hall was rarely used for such large functions, and part of the ground is now converted to a sports complex. A jogging path has now been built around this area, and this is a popular gathering place for kids as well as adults. (more … )

Colombo National Museum ⤴

The Colombo Museum, as it was called at the beginning, was established on 1st January 1877. Its founder was Sir William Henry Gregory, the British Governor of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) at the time.

The museum houses a very impressive collection of Buddhist and Hindu statues going back to the pre-Christian era and a collection of over 4000 palm leaf manuscripts.

The museum is closed on public holidays and on Mondays.

Dutch Period Museum ⤴

Located in the middle of Maliban Street in the Pettah market, this museum is the 17th-century residence of the Dutch governor. The building is well kept and has a nice courtyard garden. It has a good collection of artifacts from the Dutch period.

Time of Operation: Daily 09.00 hrs to 17.00 hrs except on Fridays. (see more…. )

Nelum Pokuna (Lotus Pond) Theater

The latest attraction in Colombo. This theater is a fully equipped state-of-the-art performance center meant for large-scale theatrical productions. The theater consists of two venues for performances, which include the main auditorium and an open-air amphitheater.

The design of this building is inspired by the Lotus Pond in the Polonnaruwa built during the 9th-11th centuries.

National Art Gallery

This lies in close proximity to the National Museum and the Nelum Pokuna Theatre. In addition to exhibitions held by various artists, it has a permanent collection of portraits and landscapes on exhibition.

Planetarium

The Planetarium, established in 1965, was a special feature of the Industrial Exhibition held in Colombo that year. Designed by renowned engineer Dr. A.N.S. Kulasinghe, its inner dome, taking the shape of a lotus in full bloom, was constructed by engineers from Germany. The artificial sky where one could glimpse the night sky during the time is created on a domed screen above an auditorium that could seat 500 visitors.

Show times : Tuesday to Saturday at 10.00 a.m. and 2.00 p.m. One show takes about 1 ½ hours.

Awkana Buddha Replica

This is a replica built around 1970 of the Awkana statue, which was carved out of rock during the 6th century AD. This lies in front of the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH).

Deepaduttaramaya Temple ⤴

The oldest temple in Colombo. Over 300 years old. The temple was built during the Dutch period when the ruling Dutch authorities did not approve the construction of a temple within the territory, when Buddhists had to travel to Kelaniya or Kotte for worship. However, Mudliyar Thabrew Ubayakulatunga Wijesiriwardhana succeeded in convincing Dutch Governor Von Engel Beck to grant him permission to build a temple as an extension to his house.

Commonly known as the Thai Temple due to close links with the Thai Royal Family. Lies in Kotahena. ( see more ….. )

Other sights of interest

National Zoological Gardens (9 km from Galle Face)
Pettah Market—situated right in the heart of Colombo, each street in the area specializes in some type of good. A place to find anything and everything.
Pepiliyana Sunethradevi Maha Pirivena (11 km from Galle Face)
Bellanwila Raja Maha Viharaya (12 km from Galle Face)
Kelaniya Rajamaha Viharaya (13 km from Galle Face)
Kalutra Bodhiya (40 km from Galle Face)

Beaches

Mount Lavinia (12 km from Galle Face)
Kalutara Kalido Beach (40 km from Galle Face)
Negombo (42 km from Galle Face)

Also See

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