SRI LANKA - Kandy

Kandy, also known as Maha Nuwara meaning the ‘Great City’, is a sacred Buddhist site and the cultural centre of Sri Lanka. The sacred City of Kandy is located at the center of Sri Lanka and is listed as a World Heritage City by UNESCO.
 


I arrived at Kandy in the evening after visiting Dambulla. Enjoyed the view of Kandy from a hilltop.


Positioned approximately 1,500 feet above sea level, Kandy is surrounded by mountains.


The view of the city of Kandy. With a population of approximately 100,000, Kandy is considered to be a small city.


Some of the souvenirs being sold at the roadside. There are many stalls and shops selling souvenirs here at the hillside. This is the place to get your souvenirs while in Sri Lanka. You can always bargain with the seller even in souvenir shops.


After so much walking in a day, I just had to rest here at the hotel.



I stayed here at this beautiful hotel located atop a hill for the night.


At nightfall, I decided to explore the city of Kandy.


Why are there so many Sri Lankan men lining up here?


It’s actually a place selling alcoholic beverages. That’s my beau there lining up to purchase a beer. Did he really join the long queue? Well being a foreigner, he was given the privilege to queue a shorter line.


Sri Lanka has a strict liquor laws. Only person age 21 and above can purchase alcoholic drinks and not all places sells liquor. 

So why the long queue? Sale of liquor is prohibited for most festivals and holidays marked for religious occasions. So happen, the next day is a religious holiday, so the guys are out purchasing liquor for their next day drinking session.
    

The busy streets of Kandy.


Hmmm….where should I go for dinner? Perhaps at the White House?


Or the Bake House? Bake House is popular for snacks and traditional Sri Lankan meals. You don’t have to worry about food while in Kandy, there are quite a few restaurants for you to choose from.


Kandy Baptist Church. Christianity is a minority religion in Sri Lanka, making up to about 8% of the population. 


Came back to the hotel after exploring the city.


Admired some of the paintings at the hotel before retiring back to my room.


The can of beer my beau bought earlier. Lion Lager belongs to the Lion Brewery Ceylon Limited which is the market leader with a share of 86% in Sri Lanka. Enjoyed a drink before calling it a day.


Had a hearty buffet breakfast at the hotel before heading out.


Did I forget to mention the name of the hotel? The Serene Garden Hotel is most definitely recommended where never you’re in Kandy. In fact, this was the best hotel I’ve stayed while in Sri Lanka.    


So what is Kandy most famous for?


Kandy is home to the Temple of the Tooth, a sacred pilgrimage site and one the most venerable place for the Buddhist community of Sri Lanka and all around the world. 


Said to house one of the Lord Buddha’s teeth, the Temple of the Tooth Relic is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.


Legend has it that the tooth was smuggled to Sri Lanka in the hair of a princess after taken from flames of his funeral pyre. Pirated to India by invading army, the tooth was eventually restored to its rightful place in the monument in Kandy, constructed during the 17th and 18th century,



I decided not to enter the temple as it was packed with people on that particular day because of a religious holiday.


What??…and miss the opportunity to see the ‘tooth’?


The Temple of the Tooth in Kandy is not the only temple that has claimed to hold a tooth of Buddha. Moreover, only high ranking temple officials are allowed to view the tooth. If your intention to the enter the temple is to have a peek at the tooth, you’ll be disappointed.


Think I’ll just walk around the exterior of the temple.


The present day Temple of the Tooth was built by King Vira Narendra Sinha during the 17th century, while the octagonal Patthirippuwa and moat was added during the reign of King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha during the 18th century.  


It is believed that whoever holds the tooth relic, holds the governance of the country. Actually, the safeguarding of the relic was the responsibility of the monarch, thus the custodian of the relic became the symbol of the right to rule. 


Being the last capital of the Sri Lankan Kings, Kandy is a UNESCO World Heritage Site partly because of the Temple of the Tooth.


A statue of Anagarika Dharmapala. He was a major reformer and revivalist of Ceylonese Buddhism. He was also one of the most revered Buddhist of the 20th century.


The New Palace built in 1936 as part of the temple.




The temple packed with Buddhist worshippers.



The Audience Hall with its original wooden column. The hall was constructed in 1783 and it was here where the Kandyan Convention was drawn up declaring Sri Lanka’s sovereignty was under that of the British Empire. The Agreement was signed on 10th of March 1815, officially ending the rule of Sri Lankan Kings and accepting the British crown as their new king. 




Behind the Temple of the Tooth is the National Museum of Kandy which used to be the Royal Palace of Kandy. Although only part of the original palace complex remains, the Royal Palace of Kandy is the last royal residence of the Kingdom of Sri Lanka.


King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha was the last king to reside here where he was eventually overthrown by the British in 1815. The ruler of the nation will always be the sole protector of the relic, therefore the palace was built beside the temple of tooth.


Okay, time to exit from the temple ground.


Tight security for visitors who enter the temple including body and bag search. The latest attack on the Temple of Tooth was in 1998 by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) also known as Tamil Tigers. Three suicide bombers drove an explosive laden truck into the temple’s premises and detonated the bomb, killing 16 people and injuring over 25 people.

You don’t have to worry now as the LTTE has been eradicated and Sri Lanka has been a peaceful country ever since.
   

Even monks are not exempted from the security scan.


Female to one side and male to the other side.


Kandy Lake is a man made lake built in 1807 by the last Sinhalese King, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha. A large lake beside the Temple of the Tooth with ‘Walakulu’ (cloud) walls surrounding the lake. Not really surrounding as the walls extends around half the lake. The King couldn't finish it as he lost the war and his kingdom.


An island can be seen in the middle of the lake. It is said that the island was used as the bathing place of the queen and the ladies of the court and was connected to the palace by a secret tunnel.


The lake offers a nice place for a jog or stroll with shady path surrounding the lake and with view of the hills.


Navy speedboats at the lake in case of any untoward incident. 


The hill where I went earlier on for a panoramic view of Kandy city.


From the hill, you can have a better view of the Temple of the Tooth. The main shrine below the golden canopy is where the tooth relic is being placed.


You can travel around Kandy by public bus or tuk-tuk.


Walking is recommended as a way of seeing the temple, shops and other sights around the lake as the city is not that large.


A large Buddha statue keeping watch over the city of Kandy.


This omnipresent Buddha statue of the Bahirawakanda Temple is located on top of the hill can be seen everywhere in Kandy city.


Onlookers crowding around an automobile accident.


A police officer at the scene.


Bank of Ceylon is the first National Bank of Sri Lanka (known as Ceylon at that time). Established in Colombo in 1939, the first branch was opened in 1941, in Kandy.


Queen’s Hotel is located alongside the Kandy Lake and the world renowned Temple of the Tooth.


This British Colonial style hotel used to be the Governor's residence and is one the oldest hotels in Sri Lanka with history of over 160 years. The Pub Royal inside the Queen's is the only British Pub in the city that offers service with true colonial flavor.


Kandy, a city surrounded by lush mountains and a large lake was the royal capital from 1592 until 1815, when it came under British rule. To me, Kandy is more of a beautiful town rather than a city. The sacred site of the Temple of the Tooth Relic of Buddha is the best place to visit in Kandy and you’ll love it here especially if you’re a Buddhist. Time to leave the city for my next destination.



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