Angurukaramulla Temple (Bodhirajaramaya) — Attraction in Western Province

The temple is very pretty even though it is very small, but we had a bit of a bad experience there.

On entering a guy came and pushed a leaflet in our hands that explains all the paintings and scenes portraid. We didn't think much of it and proceeded to meander through the place. It is not very big and you really don't need much more than 10 minutes inside to see everything.

When we got to the exit they asked us to sign the guest book and asked for a donation. We thought this was fair enough and took out a few hundred rupees out to give to them. The guy seemed very displeased and started demanding that we "donate" at least 1000 rupees. He was very pushy about this and turned the whole thing into a bad experience overall.

This "donation" seems to only apply to foreigners and there is nowhere that they tell people that this will be required.

So just be warned as there are many temples throughout the country that is just as nice, and better, that does not employ these kinds of...

Negombo is known as "Little Rome" due to its Catholic stronghold, with over 90% of the population being Catholics. However, the town also boasts a remarkable Buddhist community, with the renowned Buddhist leader Brahmachari Walisingha Harischandra being born here. The Bodhirajarama Maha Viharaya temple is a popular religious center with beautiful sculptural works and paintings on the life of Buddha. Additionally, the Abhayasekeraramaya Temple and Buddha Mandiraya are well-known centers of learning and social and cultural centers for both Buddhists and non-Buddhists. Negombo is a must-visit destination for those interested in Sri Lanka's...

It's a popular Buddhist temple in Negombo - you can walk around and see the temple. It was crowded when we went, with visitors from Colombo and Sunday School children. Apart from the normal temple experience, there is also a really interesting section called "Apaaya" (translates to Hell) where you can enter a dark room with depictions of the fate of sinners in hell. It's very very graphic and not recommended for the faint of heart. But it makes for a very interesting visit (please note that you need to purchase tickets for this experience). I would advise visitors to the temple to be aware of their clothing as it is a...