For over 2000 years, Kelaniya Temple has stood at the edge of an invisible world of serpent kings, subterranean kingdoms and rival armies. A jewelled throne once lay at the centre of a violent family feud between two Naga rulers until the Buddha intervened to stop the coming slaughter. Portuguese forces later reduced the ancient temple to ruins but its oldest legend endured. Even now, the river and earth murals preserve traces of that forgotten prehistoric empire.

Colombo is consumed by the pursuit of wealth and power, yet no earthly fortune can purchase an escape from mortality. Sri Ponnambalawaneswarar Temple offers a striking encounter with the ancient power of Hindu devotion. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, generations bring him their grief and fears, seeking protection from forces beyond human command. Within the windowless grey corridors of this granite fortress, the fragile mortal world is drawn directly into the cold, eternal embrace