Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara

Kelaniya is one of the sixteen sites in Sri Lanka held to have been visited by the Buddha, on his third journey to the island, and a temple has stood here since well before the common era, rebuilt many times. What most visitors come for is twentieth century: the murals painted by Solias Mendis in a deliberately revived Sinhalese style, covering the walls with scenes from the island's history and from the life of the Buddha in dense, brilliant colour.

What you actually see

• The Solias Mendis murals - twentieth-century wall painting in a revived Sinhalese idiom.
• The reclining Buddha - the large figure in the older image house.
• The stupa - the white dagoba the complex is built around.
• The Duruthu Perahera - the January procession, the year's main event.

When to go

Year round; the Duruthu Perahera in January is the largest event. Poya days bring crowds. Mornings are quietest.

Honest expectations

The temple is active and busy; this is not a quiet monument. Shoes must be removed and dress rules apply. Photography of the murals is restricted in places.

Nearby

Colombo is southwest, and Negombo is north.