Gangaramaya is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in
Colombo, started by the famous scholar monk Hikkaduwe
Sri Sumangala Nayaka Thera in the late 19th Century. This
Buddhist temple includes several imposing buildings and
is situated not far from the placid waters of Beira Lake
on a plot of land that was originally a small hermitage
on a piece of marshy land. It has the main features of
a Vihara (temple), the Cetiya (Pagada) the Bodhitree,
the Vihara Mandiraya, the Seema malaka (assembly
hall for monks) and the Relic Chamber. In addition, a
museum, a library, a residential hall, a three storeyed
Pirivena, educational halls and an alms hall are also on
the premises
Spiritual tranquility is a rare phenomenon in the busy streets of Colombo city, yet standing tall spreading the soothing praying sounds and spiritual tranquility is the architectural wonder of Islamic religion the Red Musjid. Built in early 20th century, the red Musjid is one of the finest arts in Colombo with theme in red and white stripped painting to its architectural designs. As the mixture of Indu-saracenic, Indu-saracenic, Indian, gothic and neo-classics well as the British Colonial architectural styles, the red Musjid has various names denoted to its beauty; such as , Rathu Palli, Samman Kottu Palli, Red Mosque. The inspiration for this religious architecture was the pomegranate fruit. With the pomegranate as its base shape, the domestic, ceilings, harem windows the wooden carvings of pillars, the bright chandelier eventuate the shrine's profile.
Arulmihu Sivasubramaniya Swamy Kovil at Kompanna Veediya, Colombo
2 has a long history going back to 1822. This shrine was known as a
pilgrims' temple because devotees were largely travellers, including those
proceeding to Kataragama from the north and the other parts of the island.
It was also a place of worship for many officers and men who travelled
through Colombo from India to Africa during the Boer War
St. Lucia's Cathedral is located at Kotahena, in the
northeast of Colombo, on 18,240 sq. ft. of land, and is
dedicated to Saint Lucy. It origins from a small structure
for worship built during the Dutch occupation. The interior
of the cathedral consists of a row of ornate, larger than life statues of saints along the side aisles, sculptured
and painted in minute detail; many of these statues were
installed in 1924. Open confessionals of intricately carved
dark wood are also placed along the aisles. On the left,
in front of the sanctuary is a unique dark-skinned statue
of the Madonna called "Our Lady of Kotahena", which
is taken in procession during the annual celebrations.
Altars of white marble are located in the transepts of
the church with relics enshrined within them