Gangaramaya – Gangaramaya Temple Official Website

Nawam Maha Perahera 2026

31 January & 1 February 2026 | Colombo, Sri Lanka

The Nawam Maha Perahera is one of Sri Lanka’s most important religious and cultural events. Held every year in Colombo, this sacred procession brings together spirituality, tradition, and national heritage in a grand public celebration.

Organised under the guidance of Gangaramaya Temple, the Nawam Maha Perahera has been conducted since 1979 and has grown into an internationally recognised cultural festival. It reflects the deep Buddhist values of peace, harmony, and respect for tradition.

A temple is a
beacon, a lighthouse
for the storm-tossed

Gangaramaya is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Colombo, started by the famous scholar monk Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayaka Thera in the late 19th Century.

After the Venerable Sri Sumangala, his chief pupil Devundera Sri Jinaratana Nayake Thera took on the administration of the temple. It was he who laid the foundation to convert the little temple to an institute of international reckoning.

The next chief incumbent was the Ven. Devundara Keerthi Sri Sumangala Jinaratana Vacissara Thera, the teacher of the Ven. Galboda Gnanissara, who worked to make the Gangaramaya what it is today: much more than a temple in the conventional term, but a place of worship, a seat of learning and a cultural centre.