Kandy

The sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha is placed in Kandy in a temple known as the Sri DaladaMaligawa, one of the most venerable temples of the Buddhist world. It was tradition to house the sacred tooth relic in the city that the King chose to reside in and according to ancient scripts Kandy was the last capital in Sri Lanka.

Surrounded by forested hills and partly by the meandering river Mahaveli, Kandy was an urban centre from the 15th to the 19th century.

The city’s bountiful aesthetics are enhanced by the artificial lake named the Milky Ocean, the royal palace complex and four shrines – Natha, Vishnu, Katharagama and Pattini. Not forgetting the two famous monastic complexes the Malvatta and AsgiriyaViharas. The city is admired by regular visitors the world over even if it was for just a short visit.

Justice would not be done to this city unless the most sought after event in Kandy is mentioned. The annual pageant of the Tooth Relic Shrine popularly known among the locals as the ‘Daladaperahara’ is held in July or August and is a worthy attraction for both local and international tourists.

The Central Cultural Fund hopes to convert the Queens Chamber, within the royal palace complex into a museum.

In the suburbs the Lankathilaka and Gadaladeniya temples along with the Ambekke Devalaya are shrines with archaeological and historic significance. The highly acclaimed University of Peradeniya and the Royal Botanical Gardens are also attractions that are worth exploring.