Bellanwila Raja Maha Viharaya

The Bellanwila Temple is situated in the suburbs of Colombo, in the village of Bellanwila, nearly three kilometres from the city limits. It has a long and hallowed history due to the narrative surrounding the origins of the sacred Bodhi tree in the precincts of the temple. The Sinhala Bodhivamsaya records that this Bodhi tree is one of the 32 saplings that had sprouted from the sacred Bodhi tree at Anuradhapura planted in the 3^rd century BCE. It is believed that these saplings had been distributed at least 2000 years ago, making the Bodhi tree at the Bellanwila Temple even more sacrosanct. The sanctity of this hallowed ground is exemplified by the architecture of the temple, the paintings in the interior and the serenity of the images of the Buddha. It is a place of tranquillity and peace as one walks on the gentle sand beneath naked feet.