Roland Lefevre
With a history going back several hundred years Kandy, the capital of the country's last kingdom has many things to see that are of historical, religious, cultural and ecological significance.
Housed in a part of the former royal palace this is one of the holiest Buddhist sites as Buddha's tooth relic is enshrined here. The temple is also an excellent example of the Kandyan architectural style. Over a million visitors come here on pilgrimage annually. Among the prominent travel organizations in the country Walkers Tours Sri Lanka have been organizing Sri Lanka holidays encompassing the best aspects of the country for several decades.
The center piece of the historic part of Kandy, the lake is 200 years old and many of the city's historic buildings are found around it. The island in the centre is said to have housed the king's bathing pavilion.
This forest reserve overlooking the Temple of the Tooth in the heart of the city was once the sole preserve of Kandyan royalty. The murky lake here is said have been the bathing place of the king's many concubines. Now the forest is safeguarded for its local flora, birds, butterflies, small mammals and noisy troops of macaques.
Located to the north of the Temple of the Tooth, the oldest part of the former royal palace probably dates from the 14th century. Various kings added their own buildings enlarging the complex over the years. The palace complex including the audience hall is now preserved as an archaeological museum.
Kandy's four historic 'devales' or Hindu temples is said to protect the city. Natha Devale, the oldest dates to the 14th century. The Vishnu temple north of the Natha Devale in the inner palace complex and the temple dedicated to goddess Pattini west of Natha Devale are the other historic temples. The temple dedicated to God Kataragama is in another part of town.
The collection of the National Museum Kandy housed in the former queen's quarters features antiquities from various eras of the Kandyan kingdom and include furnishings, jewellery, old manuscripts, wood and stone carvings, lacquer ware, brass ware, small arms and a replica of the crown of the last king of Kandy.
The British Garrison Cemetery just beyond the National Museum is where 200 men, women and children, were buried from 1817 to 1870. The cemetery dedicated to those who died in the Boer War, WWI and WII is in a beautiful riverside location on Deveni Rajasinghe Mw. A prominent piece of colonial architecture is the mid 19th century St Paul's Church in the historic centre of Kandy. Its brick exterior is in the Neo-Gothic style and the interior is described as English Victoriana.
Housed in a 1920s tea factory in the Hantane hills the Tea Museum is close to the place where it all began. The hundreds of objects on display here tell the story of tea in Sri Lanka.
Peradeniya Botanic Garden was established in the mid 19th century with plants brought from Kew Gardens in England. Currently the garden is spread over 147 acres and has 4,000 species of plants. It occupies a prime position among such gardens in the Asian region.
The Kandy Perehera, a torch lit annual historical pageant held over a week in August, is famous as a great spectacle with dancers, drummers, caparisoned elephants and participants attired in traditional gear.
