Colombo 1; Central and Pettah

Colombo is the commercial centre of Sri Lanka, owing to its natural harbour.  It reached prominence when the Portuguese invaded Sri Lanka in 1517, building a large fort here (it no longer exists now).  The Dutch took control of the island in 1656 and ruled for 150 years before the British captured it in 1796; Colombo became the capital of Ceylon in 1815.  The Civil War from 1983 - 2009 between the Tamil Tigers (who migrated here during British role) and the native Sinhalese caused a lot of destruction in the city, and it is being rebuilt in parts.

After a 2 hour journey from Koggala, our coach takes us through the Central area where we visit the Independance Memorial Hall and drive past the Vihara Mahadevi Park (formerly Victoria Park) to reach the Gangaramaya Temple; this is one of the most important temples in Colombo, and is  an eclectic mix of Sri Lankan, Thai, Indian, and Chinese architecture and includes a museum, a library, a residential hall and a three storeyed Pirivena. Located on the Beira Lake, it was completed in the late 19th century and is now a place of Buddhist worship and a learning centre.

We reach Pettah and enjoy walking around what is the chaotic market / bazaar neighbourhood of Colombo (see captions on photos).Read more