Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, Jaffna
Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil is one of Sri Lanka’s most significant Hindu temples, a soaring Dravidian gopuram at the heart of Jaffna’s Tamil culture in the island’s far north. It offers a genuinely different religious and architectural experience from the Buddhist sites further south.
Kataragama
Kataragama is sacred to Buddhists, Hindus and the indigenous Vedda community alike, with all three traditions worshipping within the same temple complex. The Esala festival in July and August draws pilgrims from across the island for a fortnight of ritual and devotion.
Koneswaram Temple, Trincomalee
Koneswaram Temple stands dramatically on a cliff edge above Trincomalee harbour, one of the most important Hindu temples on the island and a striking architectural landmark in its own right. The ocean views from the temple grounds are worth the visit alone.
Adam’s Peak
Adam’s Peak is sacred to Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians alike, each tradition holding its own understanding of the footprint at the summit. The pre-dawn pilgrimage climb, lantern-lit steps and thousands of pilgrims ascending together in the dark, is an experience with very few equivalents anywhere in the world.
Temple of the Tooth, Kandy
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy holds what is venerated as a tooth of the Buddha, and the evening puja ceremony, with drumming, incense and ritual chanting, is one of the most atmospheric religious experiences in Sri Lanka. It anchors nearly every cultural itinerary that passes through the hill capital.