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Travelling past the ever-so-crowded and busy junction at Borella towards the Ayurvedic hospital on Cotta Road, you begin to wonder.... an anyone for a moment imagine that in these environs there could be a place of tranquilty? Where you hear the birds chirp and even where time stands still? Glancing around, especially at mid day with such thoughts, one could be accused of wishful thinking, or day dreaming, or as some of my colleagues react- in disbelief.

'A peaceful place in the midst of madness?' they scoffed. But believe it or not, you do find such a place - it is a religious site and what's more its prized possession is a declared national treasure!...

There are many who know but there are also quite a number who do not. This is perhaps why a foreign writer described it as 'a locally lesser-known religious place with internationally renowned masterpieces'

To get there is easy. branching off from the noisy and the traffic congested Cotta Road is Gothami Road. at the end is the Gothami Vihara where the place of tranquilty is situated.

Murals of Lord Buddha from birth to parinibhana done by renowned artist George Keyt

It really makes you wonder...with a few minutes walk, from the Borella junction you could be transported from a traffic crazed maddening atmosphere to the sound of silence, at the Vihara premises.

Apart from the serenity and the sense of spiritual solace,Gothami Vihara is also famous for its murals done by renowned artist George Keyt. The paintings done more than six decades ago is the main highlight of this century old temple.

Relating the temple's history, the Chief incumbent of the Gothami Vihara Ven. Telwatte Nagita Thera said that the building of this temple came about when Lady Apollonia de Soysa Peiris, a devout Buddhist, (mother of Sir James Peiris) donated two acres of land to Ven. Dodanduwe Piyeratne in 1900. Ven. Piyeratne was well known by then, having started the first Buddhist school in Ceylon at Dodanduwe in 1869, known as 'Jinalabi Vishodeke'. The school is now known as 'Dhammasara.'

With the temple donations the foundation of the building for resident monks was laid in 1919 and the construction was completed in 1925. The foundation for the dagoba was laid in 1929 and on completion, was opened for public veneration under the auspices of D.B. Jayasinghe in 1944.

The head priest further informed that since the demise of the temple's founder head monk it was his outstanding two pupils, Ven. Telwatte Amerewanse Thera and Ven. Telwatte Ariyawanse Thera who oversaw the temple work from 1938.

The Gothami Vihara better known then as the 'Peiris temple' had many members of the Peiris family as the dayakeyas constantly at hand to assist in the temple's development programmes. Lady Apollonia's grandson Harold Peiris who was married to the sister of George Keyt invited his brother-in-law (brilliant young artist of that era) to undertake the painting of the murals depicting the life of Buddha at the shrine room.

This renowned artist obliged and in fact stayed at a small building situated in the temple premises itself and did the paintings. "He commenced the work in 1938 and completed in 1941 and it was done free of charge, explained the head monk.

The shrine room initially has had statues done by some sculptors from Kandy. They had reached an unrepairable state and were demolished. The shrine room had four entrances from the four sides of the building. Well-known architect Andrew Boyd redesigned the building so that it would create an appropriate background for Keyt's work.

The building was renovated, and reconstructed with one main door facing the entrance to the temple, so that the walls of the corridor, that encircles the inner chamber of the shrine room could be all painted on.

As you approach the shrine room building you see the exterior of the entrance doors also painted with the traditional 'punkalas'. This was done by Manjusri, the famed artist, informs the head priest. Manjusri resided at the temple during his priesthood he adds.

Manjusri has left his mark in his inimitable style at the exterior of the main door and is seen before entering the world of Keyt. It seems so apt that two artists who share top honours in Sri Lanka be associated here in this way. Pass through the Manjusri creation you will then see the inner chamber with the sitting Buddha statue. Around it the corridor leads you to a story very clearly depicted through the brush strokes of a genius.

The murals depict the life of Buddha from birth to Prince Siddharthe, through renunciation to parinibhana. The walls ware entirely covered with the marvellous paintings. At the top of the four walls there is a glass enclosure from which day light seeps through to the inner corridor.

This gives sufficient light to view the paintings in their colourful best during the day. The tradition of the vihara paintings is centuries old but the techniques and concepts that Keytbrought to Gothami Vihara were uniquely his own. His stamp of identity is indeed evident - strikingly modern though strongly influenced by classic frescos of Ajantha, Sigiriya and Degaldoruwa. Among the monumental works of Keyt at the Vihara, a touch of the semi cubist Picasso style is also seen especially in the 'Mara Yodha'.

It is no wonder that the paintings at the Gothami Vihara have been declared a national treasure. You end the walk around the corridor at the entrance.

One could only ponder awhile about the story on the wall well told, communicated in the form of paintings, reminding one of the impermanence of life.

Keyt's remarkable work speaks volumes even though it is only in brush strokes. Stepping out you see the Bo-tree said to be a branch of the Sri Maha Bodhi in Buddhagaya, standing regally behind the dagoba, the buddhist flags around it flutter in the breeze. time stands still here and even the sound of birds can be heard.Seeing a devotee who had brought in her ill daughter for blessings, the head priest rushes to assist. The head priest, Ven Nagita was ordained at this temple in 1963.

He rose to the position of Chief incumbent in 1972, after the demise of his predecessor Ven. Seelawimala. On my way out the words of my school colleague Kalani Jayasiriwardena who urged me to visit the vihara were ringing in my ears. Your series of the religious sites in Colombo will not be complete without including this temple of tranquilty and its fantastic murals painted by Keyt. She was right.

it would certainly have been incomplete. The Gothami Vihara is a haven to those devotees living around this noisy Borella area and the outstanding murals therein are certainly its prized possession.

Saving it from vandalism and the weather, the two evils that have struck these wonder works many times over the years, have been a tedious task for the temple.

The attention of the devotees is necessary so that it would be safeguarded and preserved for posterity. Colombo will indeed be poorer if not.

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