Asokaramaya Buddhist Temple

Asokaramaya Buddhist Temple Asokaramaya Buddhist Temple Asokaramaya Buddhist Temple

Ashokaramaya Buddhist Temple in Kirulapone (Colombo 05) is one of the most unassuming temples you will come across in Sri Lanka. Not to be confused with the Ashokaramaya in Kalutara; this Colombo temple is an entirely different world of color and stories. The exterior, in contrast, is rather dull and normal looking; and as a result, this temple is not very well known. However, recently with its paintings being redone; the temple has had an increase in the level of fame.

A Quick Look of Things to See

The Main Temple: The inner walls, passageway, and roof of the temple are covered in paintings of Buddhas’s life story, various repetitive patterns of flowers, animals, devas, dragons and etc.

The older paintings are shades of yellow, deep red, brown, and dark green; while the newer paintings are of brighter shades such as brilliant blue, green, orange, magenta, and beige. The inner shrine depicts has wall paintings of transcended monks in clouds worshipping the statue of the giant seated Buddha that is the centerpiece. On the side is a giant Nirvanic Buddha statue (reclining). Other rooms hold statues of the devas (aerial deities/angels) worshipping Buddha, done in relief on the walls. All the statues are very detailed and colorful but have a reserved elegance. There are also some shrine rooms holding a Burmese Buddha statue in the Enlightenment form, and a figure depicting the legendary story of Buddha climbing Adam’s peak.

The Bo Tree: The giant bo tree has a protective housing around it. There are several seated Buddhas enshrined along the wall. The area around the tree is quite nicely tiled making for a comfortable place to tread. The Outer Shrine: The outer shrine houses the Hindu Gods that the Buddhists worship. They are depicted in a different manner than usual, being the localized version.

The Pagoda: The stupa is pure white and reasonably sized. Some of the sculpted detailing along the edges is definitely worth a second look. The Temple Museum: Ashokaramaya is also well known for a reason that is different from its beautiful paintings and sculptures. It’s the strange collection of knick-knacks it holds. The temple has a tradition where people make vows using various things and then donate those items to the temple. As such through the years the shrine has acquired a variety of very odd objects, some of them quite rare. Included in the collection are religious objects such as Buddha statues; but also things like old typewriters, cameras, ceramic tea sets, clocks, record players and etc. While some of these are junk, there are some items that show the passage of time and history.

【LK94009959: Text by Lakpura™. Images by Google, copyright(s) reserved by original authors.】

Om Colombo-distriktet

Colombo er Sri Lankas største by og handelshovedstad. Den ligger på øens vestkyst og støder op til Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, Sri Lankas hovedstad. Colombo er en travl og pulserende by med en blanding af moderne liv og koloniale bygninger og ruiner og en bybefolkning på 647.100. Colombo Metropolitan Region, defineret af distrikterne Colombo, Gampaha og Kalutara, har en anslået befolkning på 5.648.000 og dækker et areal på 3.694,20 km². Colombo er en multietnisk, multikulturel by. Det er den mest folkerige by i Sri Lanka med 642.163 mennesker, der bor inden for bygrænsen. Befolkningen i Colombo er en blanding af adskillige etniske grupper, primært singalesere, maurere og tamiler. Der er også små samfund af mennesker med kinesisk, portugisisk, hollandsk, malaysisk og indisk oprindelse, der bor i byen, samt adskillige europæiske udlændinge. Langt de fleste srilankanske virksomheder har deres hovedkontorer i Colombo. Nogle af industrierne omfatter kemikalier, tekstiler, glas, cement, lædervarer, møbler og smykker. I byens centrum ligger Sydasiens næsthøjeste bygning - World Trade Center.

Om Vestprovinsen

Vestprovinsen er den tættest befolkede provins i Sri Lanka. Den er hjemsted for den lovgivende hovedstad Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte samt Colombo, landets administrative og forretningsmæssige centrum. Vestprovinsen er opdelt i 3 hoveddistrikter kaldet Colombo (642 km²), Gampaha (1.386,6 km²) og Kalutara (1.606 km²). Som Sri Lankas økonomiske centrum er alle de store lokale og internationale virksomheder til stede i byen, ligesom alle de store designer- og detailhandlere, så vær klar til at forkæle dig selv med lidt shoppingterapi i den vestlige provins. Med den højeste befolkning i alle provinser er næsten alle de førende uddannelsesinstitutioner på øen placeret i den vestlige provins. Universiteterne i provinsen omfatter University of Colombo, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, University of Kelaniya, Open University, Sri Lanka, Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University og University of Moratuwa. Den vestlige provins har det største antal skoler i landet, herunder nationale, provinsielle, private og internationale skoler.

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