Sacred City of Kandy 

Kandy is located in Central Province of Sri Lanka. It is second largest city after Colombo. Kandy lays inland mountains and thick forests of the island. It is located among several mountains, including the Knuckles mountain range and the Hanthana Mountain Range, , giving the city a height of 500 meters above sea level. Its area is 28.5km². Kandy is the historic town of supreme importance of religion and culture. This historic holy site was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1988. The relatively wet and cool climate due to high elevation, the coldest January and July Hottest, dry from December to April, rains from May to December and the annual average temperature in Kandy is 24.5 ° C.

The last capital of the Sinhala kings to fall into British hands in 1815, Kandy which is also known as “Senkadagalapura” established by Wickramabahu III (1357-1374 AD). Kandy remained the most sacred sites of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, perhaps the capital of Buddhism because it is home to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa) – the most revered Buddhist temple in the world.

Temple of Sacred Tooth Relic

Temple of Tooth in Kandy is the final location of the sacred tooth of Lord Buddha brought to Sri Lanka during the reign of King Keerthi Sri Megawarna  (301 BC-238 Bc) prince “Dantha” and daughter “Hemamala” of the kingdom Kalingu India. It became the palladium of srilankan kings and was preciously guarded in a special shrine built within precincts of royal palace where the capital was located.

The Temple of the Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha, “Sri Dalada Maligawa” in the city center, where the highest religion is respected by studying cultural heritage attracts the highest respect Buddhists and other religions worldwide. Beautiful magnificent temple built by the late king Vimaladharmasooriya 1 in 1592 AD.

The Shrine Relic approached by a large draw-bridge over the moat and through the beautifully decorated frontispiece. A tunnel “Ambarawa”, leading to the main temple complex, has a central courtyard surrounded by terraced structures.

Two-storey open pillared hall in front of an area where visitors and people gather. The lower chamber has a central part consecrated to the beating of drums and other forms of traditional music performed during the hours of ritual services. On either sides are Pallemale temple built by King Kirti Sri Rajasinha (1747 –1782 AD) and Octagon (Pattirippuva) built by the last king, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha on one side and “stupa” minor should contain Bowl Relic of Buddha on the other side. The storied structure is to the right and left temple, the residence of the monks move during the daily service (Tevava), conference room, library and office of “Diyawadana Nilame”. Recognition of the sacred temple kandy has been declared as a world heritage city by UNESCO. Monks of the two chapters of “Malwattu” and “Asgiriya” conduct daily worship at the temple hall. Rituals do 3 times a day at dawn, at noon and in the evening. On Wednesday, there is a symbolic bathing of the sacred relics of the herbal preparation of perfumed water and fragrant flowers called “Nanumura Mangalya”.

Most famous for the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa), a beautiful city is gifted with a score of attractions that include Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kandy Lake, Aluth Maligawa, Asgiriya Maha Vihara, Malwatu Maha Vihara, and four great Devales , Kandy national Museum, Rajah Tusker Hall, the Royal Palace and Park, Sri Dalada Museum, Udawattekelle Bird Sanctuary. All the temples and monuments are a good exhibition Kandian architecture, with the best artwork, carving and traditional forms of preserved cultural dance forms. All this has come together to put this city as a world heritage.