Nice calm place. Car parking(no charges) and a cafe is also available. Saw that people come here and do wedding shoots. Has a nice lake. A huge area to walk and get relaxed.

This place is much popular for wedding photographs. Has a very nice view and surrounding along with cal and quite environment. Cost for photography is 5000 and no pre booking needed. The open at 5.30AM and any time you may pay at the counter and then enter. However there are so many couples and photographers there in auspicious times. So it is much crowded. Therefore sooner you enter at golden hour it is better.

Peaceful place, great place to visit

This is a good location for photography. Our main purpose was for wedding photography and there was soo many people for photography. Location is amazing 😍❤ they have well maintained the location💟

I feel magical when I come here on Poya days. Adhering to the natural beauty, devotees who visit this temple stay here for a long time to enjoy its charm. The hall here is very large and I think about 1000 people can sit comfortably at the same time. To the right of the hall is something like a lake. Sitting in the small hall built in the middle of it is not boring. We stayed there for a long time.. I am really happy to build things like these buildings in this nature. Anyway, this temple is a beautiful place that fascinates me.

We awe the temple at night, there is a very good and quiet environment in this Manel village temple, the day we came it was a beautiful day, it is good to take photos, it is a very beautiful temple. You can walk well, you can enjoy the environment. But I saw a great temple. The environment is very beautiful

It's a great place to spend time calmly. When I visit there I don't find anyone except some random boys who is playing and workers of the temple. This temple is quite unpopular but a great place where we can get a nice experience. They don't charge any entrance fees for both locals and tourists.

Manelwatta Buddhist temple and University is very attractive and calm natural place to practice Buddhist "Bhawana" meditatios

Really beautiful, serene and calm. Also a great location for wedding photo shoots and stuff. However the constructions are still going and if you are a perfectionist, you'd always find a fault in the emerging buildings and the mayhem naturally occurs when some construction of the sort is going. This place is also really great for sight seeing. It has a typical Sri Lankan temple there, but also some rare and looky stuff are there too, like an imitation of "Ashoka Sthambha". And the major part of the temple is built in Japanese or Chinese (I sadly do not know which) architecture, which is quite a change and brilliant. But this place gets busy very easily, and if you are a Buddhist seeking a bit of calm for spiritual relaxation, well this won't be the greatest place given the number of people and the circumstances due to their presence.

The place has a tranquil environment with a peaceful environment...

my frist time in manelwatta temple. relax my mind & soul. so happy to be there in first poyaday in 2021

A very beautiful calm religious place ,best time to visit is morning and evening hours . Beautiful sceneries and locations for shoots but have to take permission and payment for shoots (Rs 5000 ). Building are still under construction but there is plenty to see . Parking is available . Takes around 30min to 1hours to walk around.

This place is undergoing some renovations. But they are maintaining the garden very well. Ideal for wedding preshoots and photography. Reasonable pricr of LKR 5,000.00 No time restrictions. You can pay at the counter then and there.

Very beautiful and mind relaxing place. Best place to get your pre shoot. Very good photo locations are there. They charge 5000 rupee for photo shoot.

Beautiful & very calm place ❤️ very good place to relax your mind

Used to be a small temple which is now for more than 20 acres. A different style of design based to this temple. I would say mahayana style. Eye catching place. And a good place suitable for taking kids.

A famous place for photoshoots. Nice and calm place. Go there on weekdays because very little amount of people are present.

Beautiful and clam place. best plae to relax our mind. not mush crowded.

If you wanna relax with your family? Go there. Superb place i've visited.

Manelwatta Temple is a unique Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka. It doesn't look like a regular temple in Sri Lanka, instead it looks like a one in China, Japan or Korea. It is mainly due to the major patronages of China, Japan and Korea, for Manelwatta Temple. And also it makes the temple a beautiful place. The first thing you will notice about this temple is, its Omnipresent Lord Buddha Statue. It is large and placed on a really high stage. It is a beautiful sight to the eyes.

A very beautiful temple. Na is full of trees. There is a Buddhist university here. It is designed in the style of a Chinese Buddhist temple. It is created in a large area. A large Statues has been built here. Located near Kelaniya city. There is also a god temple complex here.

Very pictorial place to visit. Nowadays people use to take wedding photos. Has immense buildings including conference hall. Parking 🅿️ is not adequate.

Calm and quiet place. Beautiful place to take photo shoots. Highly recommend. Must visit again.

Lot To Watch and A Good Place for wedding or pre shoots. Remember it's temple though 😅 But if you're a couple and wanna go, don't go. The army security is very disturbing,can't even walk around holding hands 🤷‍♂️

The temple is very quiet and beautiful. It is sacret place for buddha. Manelvaththa Temple is a popular temple located in Kalaniya, Sri Lanka. The temple houses the Nagananda International Buddhist University which was modeled after the ancient Buddhist university of Nalanda in India. The first thing you will notice about Manelwatta Temple is the large Buddha statue at the entrance of the temple. The land of the Manelwatta Temple was offered to the Budhdha Sasana in by the Late Sri Lankan president Mr. J. R. Jayawadena in the year 1962.

Good place.. authentic

My mind relaxes when I go there

Calm peaceful location for relaxing

Good place.

A buddhist temple with chinese tradition. A best place for relax the mind 😌

Good

Calm Environment. One of the best places for wedding photography

👌

It is a temple influenced by Mahayana Buddhism. Nice place to visit. So many statues are there.

What a marvellous place.

Good Atmosphere...

Calm and beautiful place. Old looked buildings and the lake add ancient look to the background. Suitable for wedding shoots, specially for kandiyan dressed couples. However, it seems this place is not properly maintained last couple of years.

A buddhist temple with artificial lake built around. There's more crowd on Poya Days. It is more like a park than a temple. Snd there's enough space to sit and relax around the temple. Almost every where is covered by grass and there's many trees around the temple. You can buy flowers and other offerings for temple from stalls near the temple. It is free to enter and no one will question you.

The tranquil Manelwatta Temple Nagananda Interna- tional Institute for Buddhist Studies, and the Buddhashravika Educational Institute are all spread across the 50-acre property. A serene golden Buddha statue rises into the sky, which is known as the Thilokashanthi Dharmachakra Pravarthana Buddha statue. The white stupa glistens in the sun and is known to have three sacred relics to be placed within. The Bo Tree at the Manelwatta Temple is said to be a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhiya in Anuradhapura and was planted under the patronage of President J R Jayewardene. There are beautiful elements such as statues around the Temple. During poya day, the Temple premises is full of devotees, but as it is spacious they are able to engage in their religious observances in peace. The Maligawa also known as the Fu Huei Memorial Hall is located with a surrounding lawn, which is breathtaking. A large statue of Avalokithesvara Bodhisattva stands serenely overlooking the lake. The Maligawa is known as a place for weddings, where many come to celebrate their special day and receive blessings. Kelaniya is known as the sacred site that was visited by the Buddha during his ninth year of enlightenment. The land in which the Manelwatta Temple and the Institute is located in Bollagala was known as Rajawatta at that time and was part of the land that was gifted to the Buddha by the King. On January 20,1962 President J R Jayewardene and Madam Elena Jayewardene gifted the 40-acre property to Ven Welivita Thero of the Sangaraja Temple in Kandy. The land was to be developed to provide facilities for the ordained, to provide alms and to establish a center of learning. Ven Kandakkulame Dharmakeerthi Thero was appointed as the Chief Incumbent of the Manelwatta Temple. While the Thero and his students were able to complete a substantial amount of work, due to an ailment the Thero could no longer proceed and the entire area became engulfed in jungle. It was at this time that Ven Kandakkulame Dharmakeerthi Thero started looking for a person to handover the responsibility of the land and temple. Ven Dr Bodagama Chaminda Thero had been the Chief Sanga Nayake of Taiwan for 30 years and was also well-versed in the Chinese language. The Thero was asked to take over the responsibility of the property. At that time only, the Temple Stupa and the house that had been used by President J R Jayewardene, which is today the Sangavasaya, were on the land and the rest was jungle. Ven Dr Bodagama Chaminda Thero upon his arrival cleared the land, which took almost three months. The Thero further added ten acres to the property, which made the entire compound 50 acres. The Thero while in Taiwan contemplated on what should be done with such a massive land, which would benefit people from around the world. At that time President Mahinda Rajapaksa had the idea of building an educational institution that was similar to the Nalanda University in India, which more than 1,000 years ago was a great center of learning for Buddhism, Astrology, Ayurvedha, and was famous globally. A team comprising professors, lecturers, architects and others were sent to India to study every aspect of Nalanda University, that is from the concept, design, and positioning to educational curriculum and courses. And, this was replicated in Sri Lanka. As Ven Dr Bodagama Chaminda Thero has a significant following in Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Singapore and Malaysia, all the funding for the project was provided by these devotees., The foundation stone was laid in June 2013 by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and construction started in 2014. The entire project was done under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. As construction progressed Chinese influenced architectural and design elements were also included. Thus, the massive complex that can be seen today depicts an elegant combination of designs.,

This place is amazing its more like a temple Park if you are looking for relaxation this place is amazing but make sure to wear something suitable plus hey they got skme wedding halls so make sure to check them too. Reception hall capacity 100 Wedding hall capacity 300

Calm and very beautiful place.

Good Place

Beautiful location peace and calm your mind

Definitely you have to visit this place. You'll be able to feel mind concentration automatically.

IT'S a under developing temple in malwana. Most attractive place in here is the pagoda which placed on a rock.

Very Beautiful place. This Temple have seemaamalakaya ( සීමාමාකය ). Therefore this seemaamalakaya can use for wedding photographs.

Very Peaceful Temple.Looks like a Japan or china temple. Still under construction. There is large area to walk. Great place to relax mind. Parking Available. Bus route 224 Pugoda to Pettah.

Such a clean and mind relaxing place Fantastic views...

What a beutiful place in Srilanka. Very calm place to worship lord Buddha!

A beautiful buddhist temple with some of Chinese culture.

A Buddhist temple located near Kelaniya in a beautiful and calm environment. Influence of Eastern Buddhism can be seen. An ideal place for improve spirituality and experience inner peace and true freedom.

Good location & price for photoshoot ❤

Respectful

👍👍👍👍

It was a Thailand Buddhist temple

(Translated by Google) The Manelwatta Temple is spread over an area of ​​16 hectares and was built by the late JR Jayewardene, a former President of Sri Lanka. R. Jayawardene. Life according to the teachings of the Buddha. According to legends, this land (formerly known as 'Rajawatta') was located in the area gifted to the Lord Buddha by the Naga King Manikkita on his third visit to Sri Lanka. On his third visit to Sri Lanka, the Naga king came to Kelaniya at the request of Mani Kakkhita to preach the teachings of the Supreme Buddha. Unlike an ordinary temple in Sri Lanka, the Manelwatta Temple is similar to a Chinese or Japanese temple. Its main sponsors are China, Japan, Korea and India. For this reason, the Manelwatta Temple mainly displays architectural features related to Mahayana Buddhism instead of Theravada Buddhism. Its stupa is said to be very important. The sacred relics are placed in three places in the stupa. They are said to be the relics of the Supreme Buddha and Sivali Maha Thero. The construction of the Manelwatta Temple is not yet complete. There is some significant work to be done. Manelwatta Temple is spread over a large area of ​​16 hectares which is gifted to Buddha Sasana by a former president of Sri Lanka late Mr. J R Jayawardena and his wife Elena Jayawardena, for the express purpose of ‘providing facilities to learn Dhamma and live a disciplined life in keeping with the teachings of Buddha’. As the legends say, this land (earlier known as ‘Rajawatta’) is in area which was gifted to Lord Buddha by the Naga King Maniakkitha in the third visit of Lord Buddha to Sri Lanka. In the third visit to Sri Lanka, Lord Buddha visited Kelaniya due to the request of Naga King Maniakkitha, to preach the dharma (teachings). Unlike a regular temple in Sri Lanka, Manelwatta Temple is more like a Chinese or Japanese temple. It is due to its main sponsors are from China, Japan, Korea and India. Due to that, Manelwatta Temple mainly shows the architectural features related to Mahayana Buddhism instead of Theravadha Buddhism. The stupa there, said to be very important. Sacred relics are deposited at three places in the Stupa. They are said to be relics of Lord Buddha and Seevali Maha Thero. Construction of Manelwatta Temple is still not fully completed. There are some outstanding works to be completed. (Original) මනෙල්වත්ත පන්සල හෙක්ටයාර 16 ක විශාල භූමි ප්‍රදේශයක පැතිරී ඇති අතර එය ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ හිටපු ජනාධිපතිවරයකු වූ දිවංගත ජේ. ආර්. ජයවර්ධන. බුදුන්ගේ ඉගැන්වීම් වලට අනුකූලව ජීවිතය. පුරාවෘත්තවල සඳහන් වන පරිදි, මෙම භූමිය (කලින් ‘රාජවත්ත’ ලෙස හැඳින්විණි) බුදුරජාණන් වහන්සේ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට තෙවැනි වරට සංචාරය කිරීමේදී නාග රජු වන මනික්කිතා විසින් බුදුරජාණන් වහන්සේට තෑගි කළ ප්‍රදේශයේ පිහිටා ඇත. ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ තුන්වන සංචාරයේදී බුදුරජාණන් වහන්සේ ධර්මය (ඉගැන්වීම්) දේශනා කරන ලෙස නාග රජ ම Mani ් kak ිකඛිතගේ ඉල්ලීම මත කෙලනියා වෙත පැමිණියහ. ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ සාමාන්‍ය පන්සලක් මෙන් නොව මනෙල්වත්ත පන්සල චීන හෝ ජපන් දේවාලයකට සමාන ය. එයට ප්‍රධාන අනුග්‍රාහකයන් වන්නේ චීනය, ජපානය, කොරියාව සහ ඉන්දියාවයි. මේ හේතුව නිසා මනෙල්වත්ත පන්සල ප්‍රධාන වශයෙන් ථේරවාදී බුද්ධාගම වෙනුවට මහායාන බුද්ධාගමට අදාළ වාස්තු විද්‍යාත්මක ලක්ෂණ පෙන්වයි. එහි ඇති ස්ථූපය ඉතා වැදගත් යැයි කියනු ලැබේ. පූජනීය ධාතූන් වහන්සේ ස්ථූපයේ ස්ථාන තුනක තැන්පත් කරනු ලැබේ. ඒවා බුදුරජාණන් වහන්සේගේ සහ සීවාලි මහා තෙරෝගේ ධාතු යැයි කියනු ලැබේ. මැනෙල්වත්ත පන්සල ඉදිකිරීම තවමත් සම්පූර්ණයෙන් අවසන් නැත. නිම කළ යුතු කැපී පෙනෙන වැඩ කිහිපයක් තිබේ. Manelwatta Temple is spread over a large area of 16 hectares which is gifted to Buddha Sasana by a former president of Sri Lanka late Mr. J R Jayawardena and his wife Elena Jayawardena, for the express purpose of ‘providing facilities to learn Dhamma and live a disciplined life in keeping with the teachings of the Buddha’. As the legends say, this land (earlier known as ‘Rajawatta’) is in the area which was gifted to Lord Buddha by the Naga King Maniakkitha in the third visit of Lord Buddha to Sri Lanka. In the third visit to Sri Lanka, Lord Buddha visited to Kelaniya due to the request of Naga King Maniakkitha, to preach the dharma (teachings). Unlike a regular temple in Sri Lanka, Manelwatta Temple is more like a Chinese or Japanese temple. It is due to its main sponsors are from China, Japan, Korea and India. Due to that, Manelwatta Temple mainly shows the architectural features related to Mahayana Buddhism instead of Theravadha Buddhism. The stupa there, said to be very important. Sacred relics are deposited at three places of the Stupa. They are said to be relics of Lord Buddha and Seevali Maha Thero. Construction of Manelwatta Temple is still not fully completed. There are some outstanding works to be completed.

Very good

Peaceful and beautiful place

🔥🔥

Peacefull

Highly recommended photography .

Temple in Bollagala, Kelaniya. With Thai Theravada tradition .

Friendly staff

Butterful temple

You have to pay to have a shoot here. Cone at earliest as possible

Its a more like mahayana temple have large aera peaceful and calm, but most of temple is still building

Wonderful Architecture. Buddhist university

3years anevesary

Manelwatta is Very Beautiful ❤️ Valued Place. it's Value Added Temple for Us.

They charge 5000/= lkr for photography

place is very Free and beautiful

Environment is grate .

It is a quiet Buddhist temple with beautiful surroundings. The mind is relaxed when you go there.🙏☸️

This is nice place to spend free time,but not for worship.

Temple

Nice temple

A very nice Buddhist temple.. I think it is closer to China Temple style Very nice and calm place.

Clam environment ... also its so beautiful place.

Excellent example of beautiful & calm temple. It's a very quiet place located near the kelaniya.