Prominent mosque and Islamic shrine
- C W W Kannangara Mawatha, Colombo 07
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- +94 112 683 906
An auspicious spot
There once was a woman walking through the cinnamon jungle of Colombo carrying a clay pot filled with precious scented oil. She accidentally tripped over the root of tree and her pot shattered, the oil spilling on the soft soil. She broke out in tears and that was when she saw a man in green clothes. He asked her to come back with an empty pot. When she came the man pressed the ground with his toe, and the pot magically refilled with oil. It is on the exact same spot in the cinnamon forest that a shrine was built in honour of the green saint. Later the Dewatagaha mosque was built around it and it remains a place of miracles.
Blessed pigeons
It’s almost like the white Dewatagaha mosque with its golden domes is part of the architectural ensemble of the iconic Town Hall. Enter the building (the prayer halls are segregated for men and women) to appreciate the size, it’s a huge and impressive space. At the centre are pigeons - loads of pigeons! They're always there and feeding the pigeons has almost become part of the regular’s ritual.
An army soldier who was told by his doctor that his arm had to be amputated, visited the saint and made a wish. His arm was saved.
Strings of prayer
On your left as you enter the mosque there's an oil lamp with a crescent and star on it, guarding the door to the shrine of Usman. People who come to pray to the shrine bring flowers and tie prayers in the form of knots to the metal bars.