Gangaramaya Temple

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Gangaramaya, with its imposing buildings, not far from the placid waters of Beira Lake, Sri Lanka was originally a small hermitage on a piece of marshy land.

Today Gangaramaya serves not only as a place of Buddhist worship; it is also a centre of learning. It has the main features of a Vihara (temple), the Cetiya (Pagada) the Bodhitree, the Vihara Mandiraya, the Simamalaka 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. It has also been instrumental in establishing the Buddhist temple on Staten Island (U.S.A.) the Buddhist Center in New York, Birmingham Buddhist Vihara (U.K) and the Buddhist Centre in Tanzania, thereby helping to propagate the Dhamma in other countries.

It was the home for erudite scholars such as Ratmalana Sri Dharmarama Thero, Waskaduwa Sri Subhuti Thero, Weligama Sri Sumangala Thero, Welivitiye Dhammaratna Thero, and Pandit Batuwantudawe.