Temple Renovation Supporter

The project

Hanguranketha is an ancient city which was inhabited by the kings of Sri Lanka during a troubled period of the country when the Indian invasions pushed the kings out of the royal capital city Kandy. They used Hanguranketha as a temporary capital and in doing so, brought it to life. The village is located approximately an hour away from Kandy and has immense historical significance. Although a lot of its palaces and temples were destroyed by invaders in the 19th century, there are many historical sites left to be discovered. Currently, there are more than a hundred temples in and around Hanguranketha that require renovation and repairs. As a part of this project you can contribute to bringing ten of the temples back to their previous glory. The work involves basic renovation, painting and artwork restoration and it is accompanied by teaching young monks at a local school. The village of Hanguranketha faces many problems including run-down temples and poorly staffed schools as well as lack of clean drinking water and frequent power cuts.

Experience Sri Lanka in an unforgettable way by bringing ancient temples back to life and teaching young monks!

Introductory week

Your placement will start with an introductory week before you start your placement.

On the Monday, you will attend a language lesson followed by lunch. In the afternoon, you will have a cultural lesson and embark on a tour of the city. The evening will offer a cultural show.

On Tuesday you will visit a spice and ayurvedic garden and a tea factory as well as a gem museum. The Kandy Lake will await you for a boat ride.

Wednesday will be dedicated to a Sri Lankan cooking lesson, a self-defense lesson and a Buddhism lesson.

Watching the sunrise on an early morning visit to the Temple of the Tooth will enchant you on Thursday. Later in the day, you will visit the British cemetery and the Batik factory as well as a wood factory.

Friday is dedicated to a visit to the White Buddha statue and Hindu Temple in the morning and an Ayurvedic massage in the afternoon with an Indian lunch in the city in between.

The location

Sri Lanka, the “nation of smiling people”, is a beautiful island in the Indian Ocean with rich biodiversity, and a multicultural and a multi-religious population. Formerly known as Ceylon, Sri Lanka is famous for its cuisine, its holistic medicine, cricket, tea, gemstones and its vibrant artistic traditions. Buddhism has shaped the country’s traditions and culture along with the influence of the colonial period with British, Dutch and Portuguese elements visible on every corner. Over 2,000 years of history and culture are visible in the Sri Lankan cities, its beautiful ancient temples and with eight UNESCO World Heritage sites, the country fills its visitors with awe and amazement.

You will spend the mornings teaching the young monks at the local schools. The afternoons will be dedicated to the renovation efforts of the temples, paintings and relics.

The overall aim of this project is to restore the former glory of these temples to encourage increased visits.

As you will be working in sacred spaces it is important to behave and dress with respect. Participants with tattoos/piercings will be to cover/remove these while working at the the project location.