Kandy : Kandy is a large city in central Sri Lanka. It’s set on a plateau surrounded by mountains, which are home to tea plantations and biodiverse rainforest. The city’s heart is scenic Kandy Lake (Bogambara Lake), popular for strolling. It’s famed for its sacred Buddhist sites, including the Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) shrine, and for its Esala Perahera annual procession.
#Peradeniya Botanic Gardens At one time these beautiful botanical gardens were reserved exclusively for Kandyan royalty. Today even commoners are allowed into what are, at 60 hectares, the largest and most impressive botanic gardens in Sri Lanka. The many highlights include a fine collection of orchids and a stately avenue of royal palms. Another big hit is the giant Javan fig tree on the great lawn. Covering 2500 sq metres, it’s like a giant, living geodesic dome. On weekends and holidays the gardens are packed with romantically inclined local tourists, and it can be hard to move without tripping over yet another canoodling young couple. |
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#Kandy Lake Kandy Lake also known as Kiri Muhuda or the Sea of Milk,is an artificial lake in the heart of the hill city of Kandy, Sri Lanka, built in 1807 by King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe next to the Temple of the Tooth. Over the years, it was reduced in size. It is a protected lake, with fishing banned. There are many legends and folklore regarding the lake. One such is that the small island at its center was used by the king’s helm for bathing and was connected to the palace by secret tunnel. |
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#Temple of the Tooth Relic Elephants play an important part at the temple of the tooth relic in Kandy. Every 5 years they bring out Budha’s tooth in a shrine on the back of an elephant. The elephants are taught to bow before entering and are part of very large and important Budhist rituals. The tusks you see at this shrine are real elephants tusks of the dead elephants which used to be involved in the ceremonies surrounding the temple of the tooth in Kandy. |
#Art & Craft Centre Popular handicrafts include gold and silver jewellery set with gems, wooden masks, intricate lace-work, lacquerwork and ceramics. The full-range of handicrafts is available in the many stores in and around the capital, but you can also see the work that goes into creating them as you travel around the country – watch deft hands weaving intricate lace patterns in towns around the south-western coast or see the pottery wheels in action at the small village of Molagoda in the central provinces. |
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#Sigiriya Fort Fortess
The name refers to a site of historical and archaeological significance that is dominated by a massive column of rock nearly 200 metres (660 ft) high. According to the ancient Sri Lankan chronicle the Culavamsa, this site was selected by King Kasyapa for his new capital. He built his palace on the top of this rock and decorated its sides with colourful frescoes. On a small plateau about halfway up the side of this rock he built a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. The name of this place is derived from this structure —Sīhāgiri, the Lion Rock. The capital and the royal palace was abandoned after the king’s death. It was used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century.
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