Tourist Destinations in Sri Lanka

District of Gamapaha located in the western part of Sri Lanka and administrated under the Western Provincial Council. This district extents for the area of 1,387 sqkm has a population of 2.3 million. This is bounded by Colombo district by South, Indian orcean by west, Kurunegana & Puttalam districts from north and Kegalle district from east. The City of Gampaha Is the main town.

Gampaha has many tourist and religious attractions. Even though the main city areas became much urbanized , if you travel bit deep, still you can find the typical Sri Lankan village life. The Bandaranayake international Airport, the main aviation hub in Sri Lanka is located in Katunayaka. Kalania Temple is a very prominent religious attraction and Load Buddha visited this place during his 3rd visit to Sri Lanka.

Gampaha – A vibrant potpourri of cultures

Negombo, the central city of coastal Gampaha is known as the little Rome with many old Roman Catholic Church peaks kissing the sky line. The churches, the fort and the Hamilton canal are the structural remnants of a once vibrant merchant city while Baila and Kaffringha music, nativity plays and passion plays miscellanies of once a heavily colonized culture.

As the sea disappears in the horizon with it vanishes the colonial effect opening doors to a very different Gampaha of Buddhist roots and of traditional agricultural and industrial means.

The Muthurajawela Wet land Reserve and NARA Mangrove Sanctuary in the Gampaha district are two of the main coastal wetland reserves in the country while Horagolla Forest reserve is the smallest forest reserve in the country.

Attractions of Gampaha

Dadagamuwa Rajamaha Viharaya

Temple | Frescoes | Architecture

One of the Sri Lankan heritages, Dadagamuwa Rajamaha Viharaya is an ancient dagoba located in Dadagamuwa, Gampaha. Many devotees and pilgrims come to worship Lord Buddha to this temple.
In addition many travelers whom are penchant about the combination between Sri Lankan culture and religion concern the temple very much. First you have to get down from Kalagedihena junction after taking the Colombo- Kandy route. Thereby take Veyangoda road and turn left after passing about 12km. finally you have to go along this road about 1 km until you reach the temple. It is evident as soon as you enter the ‘Vatadageya’ that the temple is carrying a characteristically interesting Sri lankan architecture.

Bio Diversity | Botanical Garden

Henrathgoda botanical garden is one of the gampaha’s many landmarks to discover. It is situated about 5 km from Gampaha Sri lanka. The botanical garden is constituted of a vast collection of tropical trees, sub tropical trees, wet zone trees and dry zone trees.
Such as palm trees, orchids and flora are convinced that the garden is an accumulation of varieties. The botanical garden covers about 43 acres. It is bordered with Attangalle oya and Attangalla garden. To the south east from the garden is the Ruhunu National park and to the south east the Wilpattu national park. It is believed that the garden is 128 years old now. Being a garden situated in low lands, the garden is well comprised with low land plantations.

Cave Temple | Panoramic View

Since the focus towards tourism of Gampaha district has increased with the Maligatenna Raja Maha Viharaya. Sri Lanka being a rich country of ancient heritages, Maligatenna is a temple that must be visited. Actually Maligatenna Raja Maha Viharaya is a cave temple.
In order to reach this place you have turn to the right from Thihariya junction in Gampaha. The road will take you to the Maligatenna Raja Maha Viharaya. This viharaya is one of the ‘Siyane Korala’ heritage sites of Gampaha. In detail they are Maligatenna raja maha viharaya, Pilkuththuwa raja maha viharaya, Varana raja maha viharaya, Koskandawala maha viharaya and Petta gam gala aranya senasnaya.