Kandy is the centre of the traditional Sri Lankan culture. The Dalada Maligawa, the temple of the Tooth attracts believers and pilgrims. The temple honours the tradition and values of Buddhism. There is no city with so many monks as Kandy. The last royal city of Sri Lanka: Kandy is an overview of interesting places to visit in the city.

The city is located in a forest hill landscape. Kanda is the Singhalese word for hill. The region of Kandy is populated since the 14^th century when the first temples were built. These historical temples are still used today. The isolated city was able to develop their own culture in Sri Lanka.

The Portuguese conquered Kandy in 1587 but showed little interest. Even the Dutch were not interested but did concluded a trade agreement with the king. From 1592 until 1815 Kandy was the capital city of the Singhalese Kingdom. The last king, Sri Vikrama Rajasingha, decorated the city by constructing an artificial lake, close to the Temple of the Tooth. In 1815 the British conquered the last royal city of Sri Lanka: Kandy. The British removed the king and it meant the end of the Singhalese Kingdom after a period of 2300 years. 

Temple of the Tooth

Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Tooth, is the religious centre of Sri Lanka. The temple is an important religious and cultural pilgrimage. The temple was heavily damaged by a bomb of the Tamil Tigers. The roof collapsed and many frescoes were destroyed. The impact was so severe that the Queen’s Hotel (250 mtrs away) closed its doors for six months to repair the damage. All doors and windows were destroyed. Fifteen people died in the attack. The temple is restored and again open to the public. The safety precautions are increased and visitors are strictly monitored. All roads around the temple are closed for traffic.

Dalada Maligawa is built in 1603 and embellished with friezes of animals, balconies with lions and columns with stone flowers and elephants. The actual sanctuary is the Inner Temple. This part is constructed in 1720 and commissioned by King Narenda Singha. The building is decorated with ceiling paintings, wood carvings and doors with inlay of ivory and silver. The main entrance is located at the west side of the complex. On the right side of the entrance is an octangular tower, the Pittirippuva, and built around 1800 by King Sri Vikrama Rajasingha. He used the pavilion to address the nation.

Legend of the Tooth of the Buddha

The tooth was removed from the ashes after cremation of the Buddha in 313 AC. The tooth was smuggled from India to Sri Lanka hidden in a princess’s head of hair. Numerous stories are circulating. In 1283 the tooth moved back to India and was pulverized by the Portoguese in Goa. Buddhist believe this was a fake tooth. For centuries the tooth is honoured in Sri Lanka. From the Anuradhapura time period the tooth moved whenever the capital city of the Singhalese Kingdom moved. Eventually it ended up in Kandy.

The upper left corner tooth of the Buddha is worshipped in the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy. It is kept in the relic room on the top floor of the Inner Temple. Visitors are not allowed to see it. Believers bring lotus flowers and kneel down for the holy relic.

Queen’s Hotel

A well-known landmark is the Queen’s Hotel. The white colonial building is located at the lake. The hotel is built in the 19^th century and therefore the oldest hotel in Sri Lanka. The building originally served as the residence for the British Governor. Next to the hotel is a park. Here you find a statue of the Father of the Nation, the first Prime Minister of Sri Lanka in 1948. The brick church a block away from the hotel is the Anglican St. Paul’s Church.

The main market

The centre of the city is chaotic with busy traffic of scooter, cars, buses and taxis. Behind the bus station is the main market. The red building is constructed in 1959. Between the stalls at the square is the Clock Tower. The wall is decorated with reliefs, gilded vases and four clocks. At the market all kinds of items are for sale, like fruit, vegetables, leather items and wickerwork, fish, meat, spices and sweet desserts.

Royal Palace Park

Do you fancy a walk? A trail leads around the lake and is about 4km long. It’s a great place to admire the lake view from under the Mahogany trees. The Royal women used to walk around the lake. The Royal Palace park is located at the south side of the lake. If you walk a bit further up you can go to Arthur’s seat. From here you have an amazing view of the lake in Kandy.

Kandyan Art Association & Cultural Centre

At the lake shore and on the east side of the Temple of the Tooth is the Kandyan Art Association & Culture centre. The centre organises cultural show in the evenings with spectacular demonstrations in walking-on-fire. There is a shop selling souvenirs, handicrafts items of silver, bronze and copper. Craftsmen are at work in the showroom and you can admire how they work and the techniques they use.

National Museum

The National Museum used to be the Queen’s Palace. The building is constructed by the Dutch in 1765. The queen of Kandy lived here and later on brothers of the king. The museum has displays of weapons, jewels, costumes, sculptures, musical instruments, books, ivory and pottery items. The museum has a copy of an agreement which states that the Kingdom of Kandy is transferred to the British.  

Botanical Gardens

In Peradeniya, a southern neighbourhood of the city, are the beautiful Botanical Gardens. The gardens are constructed in the 14^th century by the king. The British transformed the garden to a botanical garden. At first the gardens were used as experimental centre for cinnamon and coffee. The gardens are 67ha and partially surrounded by the river Mahaweli Ganga. Over 4000 native exotic flowers and plants are growing in the gardens. Many trees are older than 100 years. The botanical gardens in Kandy are considered to be one of the most beautiful gardens in the world.

 The talipot palm is the highest native tree in the gardens. The tree flowers after 35 years, then needs two years to grow large and hard fruits and dies a year later. Visit the website to learn more about the plants, flowers and trees that grow in the gardens.

University Campus

Close to the botanical gardens is the university campus. The university is built in 1942 and the colourful pink buildings are surrounded by a stunning landscape of green grass fields and trees. The campus has separate temples for Buddhists and Hindus, a mosque for Muslims, and churches for protestants and Catholics. Most of the buildings are built in a Singhalese architectural style designed by Sir Patrick Abercrombie. He created the Greater London Plan in 1945. The university has over 7000 students.

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Are you planning a trip to Sri Lanka? Read the Travel Guide of Sri Lanka with practical info, interesting places to visit, best time to visit, list of festivals and more. For background information about Buddhism I recommend reading the Beginners Guide to Buddhism.

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