Oldest Hindu temple in Colombo
The Capitan's Garden Hindu Temple (officially known as Sri Kailashanadar) is the oldest Hindu temple in Colombo and one of the most popular. The name comes from it's location near the port and is where Hindu Tamil traders from southern India would come to worship after docking. These days, the temple is lost amid a maze of railroad tracks and rail yards so your best bet is to hire a tuk-tuk driver who knows the way.
The temple is only open from 6-10:00 in the morning and later from 5-9:00 in the evening so you should plan your visit accordingly. Unfortunately, we didn't and got there around 11:00 so were only able to admire the massive and colorful entrance which was actually worth the visit on its own. Above the entrance is a pyramid-shaped tower adorned with literally hundreds of brightly-colored figures and gods from Hindu theology, all intentionally positioned to convey messages from Hindu scripture. It's pretty overwhelming when you first see it.
