Kandy is a city with graceful charm, radiating an ambiance of antiquity that you will find only in a Sri Lanka holiday. Cocooned in the comfort of a protected valley in the central hills of Sri Lanka, the city at 500 meters (1640 feet) above sea level is home to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and a vast array of shrines, and temples dating back to the 14th century.In 1592 Kandy became the capital of the Sinhala kings who repulsed the Portuguese and Dutch invaders. They held out against the British until 1815. The proud city is also home to several monuments, including the Dalada Maligawa the “Palace of the Sacred Tooth Relic”- the symbol of sovereignty of the nation, a must visit site in your Sri Lanka Holiday. The Magul Maduwa – The Audience Hall with its wooden columns is the epitome of Kandyan architecture. It is in this space that the Sinhala chieftains ceded the kingdom to the British Crown in 1815.The City is built with the Temple Palace of the Sacred Tooth Relic at its epicenter.
Kandy is the cultural and religious capital of Sri Lanka.The splendor of the great pageant of the “Esala Perehera” reaffirms its sanctity every year. It is a spectacle held usually in the first week of August with the full moon. Not only it is one of the most scenic places on the island, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with significant religious and cultural importance.
