AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Perched on a green hillside in Kandy's Primrose Garden, Siri Vajiraramaya is a working Theravada Buddhist monastery and teaching centre rather than a ticketed sightseeing stop. Founded in 1981, it belongs to the internationally known Vajirarama monastic lineage and serves as a centre for meditation, Dhamma study and the training of young monks.↗↗
For a visitor, the appeal is quiet and authentic: serene temple grounds with views across the historic city that holds the Temple of the Tooth, plus a feel for everyday monastic life. It is most lively on Full Moon Poya days, when the temple gathers lay devotees for ordained-sil observances, sermons and community events.↗↗
A Living Monastery on the Hill
The Primrose Garden Vajiraramaya was brought into being through the initiative of the Most Venerable Aggamahā Paṇḍita Madihe Paññāsīha Maha Thero, with the patronage of the Most Venerable Ampitiye Sri Rahula Maha Thero. Its foundation stone was laid on 11 January 1981, and it operates as the Kandy branch of the Sri Vajirāṇa Buddhist Center based at Maharagama. The stated aim is to spread and nurture the Buddha's teachings and the way of life he exemplified among people locally and worldwide.
