Kandy

Kandy
(93km North - East of Colombo)

“Kandy is with many visitors first favourite among the beautiful places Ceylon can show.” This early 20th century guidebook assessment of the country’s hill capital still holds good, although modernity and overcrowding has somewhat tarnished its charm. Fortunately it still has enough attractions of the cultural kind, such as temples, museums and the world-renowned Esala Perahera, to make it a remarkable destination . . .
Located in the foothills of the central highlands around the banks of a picturesque lake, steeped in history, and possessing a salubrious climate, Kandy is Sri Lanka’s renowned second city. In many ways, however, Kandy is more important than the true capital, for although Colombo may be the hub of commerce and communication, it is Kandy that has always been the centre of Sri Lanka’s rich culture and the symbol of the nation’s complex identity.

Kandy is known to most Sri Lankans as Maha Nuwara, “The Great City.” And great it is. The sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha is housed here in its own temple, and is paraded around the city in one of Asia’s most celebrated festivals, the Kandy Perahera, held during July-August. The monasteries of Sri Lanka’s two leading Buddhist sects have long been established in the city. Traditions of Sinhalese music and dance, such as Kandyan dancing, are kept alive in Kandy, as are many arts and crafts. Little wonder, then, that Kandy was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.