Population & Religion in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, the land of temples, monasteries and stupas ... the religious cult fascinates travelers and makes up a large part of cultural tours. Not only natural parks, beaches, tropical vegetation and great wildlife, Sri Lanka as a travel destination also offers impressive Buddhist and Hindu spirituality, which is reflected in architecture and spiritual traditions and reflects well over 1000 years of national history.

Some of the temples carved into the rock are located in the middle of nature or near the beach, so that the religious highlights can be visited not only in cities, but also on the way on round trips in between. These include the cave temple of Dambulla (UNESCO) or the many, many larger-than-life Buddha statues.

Travelers will largely encounter Hindu and Buddhist spirituality on site. Sri Lanka's population belongs to about 75% of the ethnic group of the Sinhalese. And these are usually Theravada Buddhists.

The second largest religious group is the Sri Lankan Tamils, who live in the north of the island and are the second largest ethnic group in the country with 11%. 80% of the indigenous Tamils are Hindus, 20% live in the Christian faith.

The country's minorities also include the Moors, who make up about 9% of the population. Most of the Moors are Sunni Muslims (and Sufis) and descendants of Arab and Persian traders, a small part of the Sri Lankan Muslims immigrated from Indonesia during the colonial period.

Religious artworks and architecture

The dagobas (stupas) come from the Buddhist tradition, which are often found in Tibet or Nepal. The buildings were usually built on a square or hemispherical base without windows and doors and with a pointed roof and are used to store Buddhist relics such as religious texts or sacred memorabilia of the Buddha.

Other temples, monasteries and religious buildings or sights in Sri Lanka : 

• The sacred Bodhi tree in Anuradhapura
• The Holy Temple of the Tooth in Kandy
• Puja (Buddhist ceremony)
• The Hindu temple Koneswaram in Trincomalee
• Golden Bhudda in Colombo
• Gal Vihara Rock Temple in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa
• Avukana statue in Anuradhapura, carved from a large granite rock wall in the 5th century
• Rock temple of Mulkirigala (near Tangalle) with morbidly overgrown staircase scenery
• The Sithulpawwa Temple in Yala National Park
• The Koneswaram Temple in Trincomalee