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Published 16:06 IST, December 2nd 2019

Colombo: All the things to do when visiting the berautiful Sri Lankan port city

Colombo is the capital city of Sri Lankan and is also a popular tourist hub. Here is a list of things to do when visiting the city for the first time. Read on.

Reported by: Shweta Patokar
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Colombo is a big and vibrant city split into 13 parts with the Fort area being the centre of the city. Now with a mixture of modern life and architecture, Colombo originally served as a seaport town in the 5th century. When visiting the city, it can be often puzzling to pick what to do. Here is a list of a few things to do in Colombo.

Things to do in Colombo

National Museum

Found by the then British Governor of Sri Lanka, the building was built in 1876. It is the largest museum in Sri Lanka. Inside the museum are statues and art telling the history of Sri Lanka. The museum also has the King’s golden throne and crown. It has a lot of antiques from the country's ancient past as well as the colonial period.

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Gangaramaya Temple

The Temple consists of several buildings and is filled with an enormous amount of artefacts. It has a library, a museum and also a display hall of gifts received from devotees and well-wishers over the years. The temple apparently has the relics of Buddha’s hair. It has a lot of statues of Buddha, in stone and even in gold.

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Beira Lake

Close to the Gangaramaya Temple is a huge lake called Beira. Due to pollution, the lake has developed a crazy green colour. In the middle of the lake, there a small island and the island consists of the Simamalaka Shrine. The shrine was built with donations from a Muslim sponsor. During the colonial era, its canals were used to transport goods within the city and it still has its Portuguese name Beira.

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Independence Day Memorial Hall

Sri Lanka won its independence from the British on February 4, 1948. The Independence Day Memorial Hall has a statue of the Father of the Nation Rt. Hon. Don Stephen Senanayake. The architecture of this place is inspired by the Royal Audience Hall in Kandy. This hall is now mainly used for religious events and the annual national day celebration. It also has the Independence Memorial Museum.

Galle Face Green

Located towards the south of Fort area, there is a long stretch of land next to a narrow beach and sea promenade. Originally, it was built by the Dutch to give their canons a clear sight. It is also lined with a lot of food stalls selling great street food at a cheap price. It is one of the best spaces to enjoy the sunset.

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12:00 IST, December 2nd 2019