GOTHAMA THAPOWANAYA undiscovered forest monastery

Saturday, 9 November 2013 07:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Trekurious together with the Weekend FT explores Sri Lanka for the curious traveller By Tashiya De Mel Dense tropical foliage, drooping banyan trees, bird calls echoing through the treetops, small caves, and narrow footpaths; while this sounds like your typical outstation experience , you’d be surprised to find out that the Gothama Thapowanaya, located in Thalangama, is only a short 30-minute drive from the city. Spread out across 12 acres of sprawling tropical jungle paradise, Gothama Thapowanaya is a beautiful forest monastery, temple, learning centre, and an orphanage. What’s there to see?

As you walk along the stony footpath, you pass by enormous statues, a teaching hall, an enclosed shrine, a bo tree, and a mossy pond. What’s nice about the place is that you are not bombarded by all the features all at once. This allows you to enjoy each aspect on its own. After a few minutes of walking you eventually reach a large clearing. A seated golden Buddha statue is perched up on a couple of boulders and, next to it, the intertwined roots of a banyan tree have strategically created an arc-like passageway, under which you can walk. The surrounding trees encompass the clearing, making it dark and almost mystical. It really makes you feel like you’ve been transported to an enchanted garden from a classic Disney fairy tale! If you continue walking along the winding paths, they eventually take you back to the entrance. So don’t get too flustered if you think you’re lost! There was a downpour during our visit and we were forced to take refuge in a small man-made cave. While it did become a bit more tedious to manoeuvre our way along the path, the sound of the rain falling, together with our surroundings, really did add to the entire ‘forest’ experience. The Gothama Thapowanaya provides a place to find yourself, achieve inner peace, and explore parts of the city you didn’t know existed! Plus, there aren’t very many other enchanted gardens so close to the city! So next time you want to take some time off or meditate, you should definitely check this stunning place out. (Trekurious works with talented individuals and great brands to create amazing experiential tours, activities, and events in Sri Lanka. You can find out more at www.Trekurious.com.)