A former kingdom of ancient Sri Lanka, Kandy is a fascinating mix of history, culture, natural beauty and urbanization. This multidimensionality has placed the city on the must-visit lists of tourists. Given its rich historical and cultural heritage as well as its picturesque environs, there is a lot to see and do in Kandy. While it’s not easy to pick one over the other, we have compiled a list of the most popular attractions. While we reiterate that there is much, much more to take in in Kandy, we believe that these recommendations would be a good starting point for visitors to this wondrous city
Dalada Maligawa
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a renowned place of Buddhist devotion and worship. A revered site, this temple houses the left canine tooth of Gautama Buddha. Many devotees flock to the temple on a daily basis. Declared a UNESCO heritage site in 1988, the temple’s significance extends beyond the spiritual into the architectural. The architectural form of the temple is a combination of Kandyan architectural patterning and the designs of the ‘Dalada Mandira’, which were the shrines that previously housed the sacred tooth relic in other parts of the world.
The Kandy Esala Perahera
One of Sri Lanka’s grandest pageants, the Kandy Esala Perahera honors the sacred tooth relic that is enshrined in the Dalada Maligawa. It is held in the Buddhist month of Esala (either July or August), which is when Lord Buddha is said to have delivered his first teaching after attaining enlightenment. The procession includes traditional dancers, fire dancers, whip crackers and elephants that have been adorned in the finest fabrics and jewels of the land. The perahera runs over ten days and culminates with the diya kapeema, which is a religious water cutting ceremony.
Historical temples
Temples were a hallmark of Sri Lanka’s ancient kingdoms and political authority was established through the construction of ornate and often expansive temples. While there are many temples you could visit in Kandy, these three bear special cultural value:
Gadaladeniya Raja Maha Viharaya
This temple was built over a rock in Diggala by King Buwanekabahu IV in 1344AD. It is renowned for its stone carvings and murals within the main shrine room. The name Gadaladeniya means ‘stones brought from Deniya’ referencing the place where the raw materials were sourced from.
Embekka Devalaya
Built over six centuries ago, Embekka Devalaya is an artistic and architectural masterpiece. Almost the entire temple, barring the inner sanctum that houses the image of Lord Buddha, is made of wood. The Drummers’ Hall has a total of 514 carvings covering the pillars, beams and roof.
Lankathilaka Raja Maha Viharaya
Situated atop the Panhalgala Rock in the Udunuwara area of the Kandy district, the temple grounds has three main sections: the temple, the dagoba and the Bo Tree. The main temple houses a golden statue of the seated Buddha. The inside walls are covered in the most ornate paintings known as the ‘Suvisi Vivarana’, the lives of 24 past Buddhas.
Ceylon Tea Museum
The Ceylon Tea Museum pays homage to the humble origins of the Sri Lankan tea industry. The museum building consists of four floors. The ground and second floors house the most fascinating old equipment,including rollers, dryers and sorting machines. There is a library on the first floor with a host of informative resources that cover the entire history of the tea industry. The third floor has a tea sales center, while the entire top floor comprises a tea cafe. There are special tea tasting sessions held at the cafe allowing visitors to savor a gamut of different tea grades and blends.
Arthur’s Seat
From this vantage spot you can take in the beauty of the city of Kandy. Located 550m (or 1,800 feet) above sea level, the platform offers a panoramic view of the Dalada Maligawa, the Royal Palace of Kandy, the Kandy Lake and the Kandy city center. Legend has it that there was a bungalow just above this spot, which was owned by Mr Arthur, a former British Planter. As the story goes, Mr Arthur would stand on a stone seat that was under a tree just in front of the bungalow and gaze at the beauty of the town below. While the original seat was destroyed when the new viewing platform was constructed in 2016, the place still offers the best view of the city.
If you are looking for somewhere to base yourself as you explore Kandy, we would like to invite you to stay at Mount Havana. This luxury boutique villa is just about an hour’s drive away from Kandy city. You can set out in the morning after a hearty breakfast, immerse yourself in the beauty that Kandy has to offer and then drive back to the villa and unwind with a dip in the pool and a sumptuous dinner under the stars. The calm and tranquility of our 25-acre property is just what you need to reground after a busy day of sightseeing. And we are convinced that you will love it so much that you’ll want to stay on a few extra days enjoying the amenities of the villa and the activities in our estate. So check us out and book your stay with us!
