Colombo: Visiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday offered prayers at the famed Gangaramaya Temple here alongside his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe. The India leader is on a three-day official visit to Sri Lanka.
This Buddist temple of Gangaramaya is one of the most important shrines in Sri Lanka.
Here are some key facts:
1/ The temple's structure encompass an eclectic mix of Sri Lankan, Thai, Indian and Chinese architecture.
2/ The temple compound is home to several imposing buildings and situated near the Beira Lake.
3/ The temple has a Pagada, the Bodhitree, an assembly hall for monks and the Relic Chamber.
4/ It also has a museum, library, residential hall, educational halls and an alms hall.
5/ The Gangaramaya Temple not only serves as a place of Buddhist worship but also a centre of learning.
6/ The temple management has also been instrumental in establishing the Buddhist temple on Staten Island (US) the Buddhist Center in New York and the Buddhist Centre in Tanzania.
