05 Museums to visit in Kandy – Places where you can learn the history of the sacred city

If you want to study the history of tea culture in Sri Lanka, this is a place you must visit. There's a lot of tea machinery on display as well as a library. You can also taste and buy your favourite type of Ceylon tea at the museum. The museum was falling into disrepair for about a decade but now it has been renovated, and there's a lot you can see and learn.

Location of the museum is pretty easy to track down as it is located right next to the Temple of Tooth and in the midst of hotels in Kandy – one of such hotels would be Amaya Hills Kandy. The museum is housed inside the former Royal Palace, and you will see the most significant exhibits in Palle Vahala building. The building is built in the old Kandyan architectural style which is one of the main draws of the place.

A new addition to the Dalada Shrine – Sri Dalada Museum is lodged on the first and second floors of the Aluth Maligawa. On the first floor, there's a display of records ranging from the time the Tooth Relic was brought to Sri Lanka to the period of British Colony – the records hold the Lists of the Chief Prelates of Malwatte and Asgiriya and the Dutch Plan of the place. Among other exhibits are Kandyan gold and silver jewellery, caskets and statues of Buddha, a silver hanging lamp, a silver water pot donated by King Kirti Sri Rajamha, various coins, flags and several plaques.

This is a small village located in Kandy with many craft shops dotted all over. You can witness the process of making lamps, statues and bells. The process and the tools used are simple, yet the craftsmanship is excellent. You can also buy small gift items to take back home from the many shops that are there. The Great Craft Workshop, for example, is one of such shops where you can witness brilliant craftsmanship, you can also get them to make bespoke gift items for you.

The notion of a Buddhist museum was supported by 17 countries including Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Thailand and Laos. The museum in Sri Lanka is the first international Buddhist museum in the world. The site was the former royal residence of King Wimaladarmasuriya, and the building that was constructed later during the British Rule boasts Victorian-era architecture. The International Buddhist Museum is well worth a visit if you want some insight into the religious history of the country. The extensive list of artefacts on display will guide you through the rise of Buddhism in Sri Lanka.