Colombo - Sri Lanka - page 120

Lotus Tower ARCHITECTURE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; DR Wijewardana Mawatha, Col 2)
Casting a shadow over Slave Island, the 350m Lotus Tower is set to open sometime in
2016. With a bulbous top meant to resemble the namesake blossom, this soaring erection
(24m taller than the Eiffel Tower) will have telecommunications equipment and an array
of tourist attractions including an observation deck at the top and a water park at the base.
Like most other recent mega-projects in Sri Lanka, it is being financed by China.
South Beira Lake & Around
South Beira Lake is a pretty centrepiece to the city. Pelicans vie with rental paddle boats
(in the shape of huge swans) for space on the water. The latter are popular with courting
couples looking for a little privacy. Stroll the waterside walk with local families, while
their children race out to the playground on the small island.
Gangaramaya Temple BUDDHIST TEMPLE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 232 3038; www.gangaramaya.com ; Sri Jinaratana Rd, Col 2;
5.30am-10pm, museum donation Rs 100)
Run by one of Sri Lanka's more politically adept monks, Galboda Gnanissara Thera, this
bustling temple complex has a library, a museum and an extraordinarily eclectic array of
bejewelled and gilded gifts presented by devotees and well-wishers over the years (plus
one lonely and chained temple elephant named Ganga). Gangaramaya is the focus of the
Navam Perahera on the February poya (full-moon) day each year. This is the centre for the
most extravagant Vesak celebrations in Colombo.
Seema Malakaya Meditation Centre SPIRITUAL PLACE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; South Beira Lake, Col 2; 6am-6pm)
One of Colombo's most photographed sights is on an island on the east side of the lake.
This small but captivating meditation centre was designed by Geoffrey Bawa in 1985 and
is run by Gangaramaya Temple. The pavilions - one filled with Thai bronze Buddhas, the
other centred on a bodhi tree and four Brahmanist images - are especially striking when il-
luminated at night.