Joanna James
Kandy, the capital city of Sri Lanka and the home of the Royal Palace for several centuries is steeped in history. In addition to the Royal Palace, this city is home to the most revered temple on the island, the Temple of the Tooth, and numerous other unique temples a few of which are listed below.
Believed to be one of the most profound experiences, not only locals even visitors to Kandy consider visiting this historical temple as one of the significant things to do in Kandy. Built in the 16th century AD, this temple had been close to the Royal Palace. Buddhists from all over the world venerate this temple which enshrines a tooth relic of Lord Buddha in an inner chamber and attend the Pooja sessions held daily. It is best to visit this site in the morning and evening when the ceremonial pooja offering takes place to witness the same. Apart from this, a walk through the temple, declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site can be rewarding to witness the fine architecture, the murals and the serene ambience.
Situated in Hiyarapitiya village in Udunuwara, Kandy this temple has a history dating back to the pre-Kandyan kingdom era. Built on an uneven rock bed with a granite-based foundation, this had been designed by a South Indian architect using a blend of Sinhalese and Dravidian architecture. This temple had four storeys originally rising to 80 feet in height. What is visible to visitors at present is the ground floor and part of the first floor. The thick outer walls of the temple carry beautiful arches with many sculptures creating a unique design of the 14th century. It is evident from this temple that lord Buddha as well as Hindu gods had been worshipped in this era. There are rock inscriptions describing how the land had been gifted to build the temple.
Situated in Amunugama village near Kandy, this temple had been built in 1771 AD with Kandyan architecture and paintings. A unique feature here is the natural formation of two rocks has been used to best effect by widening the opening ingeniously to accommodate a Shrine Room with an area leading to the shrine within the rocks thus making it a cave temple. The numerous paintings at this temple are well noted by Buddhist Historians as some of the best ones of the Kandyan era, they depict religious Jataka Stories on the walls of the cave and the images of Lord Buddha and the Goddess of the Earth on the cave roof.
This is a shrine believed to have been built during the Gampola era, which was before the Kandyan era. Situated in Udunuwara in the village of Embekke the original three-storeyed construction later renovated has only one storey. With several buildings on the site of the shrine, the vahalkada or the entry porch to the shrine has 16 wooden pillars with eye-catching intricate wooden carvings. The roof of the unique shrine has no central beam however 26 rafters of the roof are clamped together with a giant wooden pin demonstrating superior wooden craftsmanship. This religious shrine remains a fine example of wooden architecture in Sri Lanka and is admired by visitors from Hotel Topaz.
Situated in the village of the same name in the Udunuwara, this temple has been built on a rock in 1344 AD and is one of the largest rock temples on the island. The main shrine houses a seated statue of Lord Buddha in the unique style of Gampola Era Buddhist Sculptures. Framed by a dragon arch and many images of deities, this seated statue is flanked by 02 standing statues of Lord Buddha, the second shrine at the centre of the temple is also composed of two smaller images of Lord Buddha.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
