Unlocking Sri Lanka

In Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, there stands a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Though not particularly ancient, it remains a paradigm of ancient Dravidian architecture. 🍔 🏚️This temple is Sri Ponnambalawaneswaram Temple. • History •🏢 The history of Sri Ponnambalawaneswaram Temple dates back over a century. In 1857, a local chieftain named Ponnambalam Mudaliyar desired to provide a place of worship for Hindus living in Colombo. At that time, the country was under British rule; Mudaliyar built a small temple for Shiva, which became a haven for Hindus back then.⛩️ Years later, in 1905, the temple was inherited by Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan, the son of Ponnambalam Mudaliyar and an independence revolutionary. 🚗 He later became known as one of the cornerstones of Sri Lanka's independence. Today, he is renowned among all Sri Lankans for his speeches and legal work during the critical period of Sri Lanka's independence struggle. ⛅ 🌈🌈Ramanathan served as Attorney General and was involved in the 1915 Sinhalese-Muslim riots; he fiercely opposed the British government, which had arrested several prominent Sinhalese leaders, including D. S. Senanayake, who later became Sri Lanka's first Prime Minister. Ramanathan was not only highly talented but also deeply pious. ❄️ Shortly after inheriting the temple, he had a visionary dream in which he was told to build a model temple for Shiva. Upon waking, Ramanathan decided to construct a temple that would stand the test of time and fully conform to the ancient Indian Vedic scriptures. 💧 🏖️He invited the most famous sculptors of the time from South India and designed the temple in the ancient Dravidian style. The temple was built in the traditional style, using black granite quarried from Veyangoda, and all other materials were also sourced locally. • Notes • - Cameras and mobile phones are not allowed inside the temple.🏟️ - Do not visit the temple in revealing clothing. This means no tank tops, crop tops, tube tops, short skirts or shorts for women; men should not be shirtless, and are advised to wear a veshti (a type of white long wrap-around cloth).🪐 ✨✨- You need to remove your shoes in a small hut and then wash your feet at the tap outside before entering. - When washing your feet, sprinkle a little water on your head as a symbol of cleanliness and purification.🎈🎈 - There are wide, step-like protrusions at the temple entrance; do not step on them, but step over them. This is a sign of respect when entering the temple.🎄🎄 - The temple is open from 5:30 AM to 11:30 AM and from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM.💕💕 #SriLanka #SriLankaTravel #Travel #Colombo #IslandTravel #IslandVacation #BudgetTravel #StudyAbroad #TravelGuide #TravelInfluencerSupportProgram