Kandy
For alternate meanings see Kandy (disambiguation) |
The Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy |
Kandy (මහ න"වර in
Sinhala கண்டி in
Tamil) is a city in the centre of
Sri Lanka. It is the capital of
Central Province and
Kandy District. It lies in the midst of hills of rare vegetal species. The
Kandy Valley crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea.
*Historical Function : Administrative and religious.
*Administrative Status: Capital of the Central Province (which encompasses the districts of Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya) and also of the administrative district of Kandy.
*Foundation:
14th century.
*Population : 110,049 (2001
census).
*One of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka
*The name Kandy is derived from the Sinhalese 'Kande Uda Rata', literally city/state on the hills.
*In Sinhala, Kandy is called "Maha Nuwara", meaning, "Great City".
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View of the lake from Rajapihilla Mawatha, on the right the golden roof of the Temple of the Tooth, top left a Toque Macaque |
In the
6th century BC,
Indo-Aryans from the
Ganges Valley invaded Sri Lanka. Ancestors of the
Sinhalese, they ruled the island for more than 2,000 years.Beginning in the
3rd century BC, the country was converted to a pure form of Indian (
Theravada)
Buddhism that continues to be practised till this day. The famous tooth of Buddha, a relic symbolising a 4th-century tradition that is often linked to royalty (he who protects the sacred relic is fit to rule the land), was brought to Sri Lanka. From this time on, the Royal Palace and the Temple of the Tooth have been associated with the administrative and religious functions of Sri Lanka's capital city.
Anuradhapura enjoyed the status of capital city from the
4th century BC until the
8th century AD, when it was replaced by
Polonnaruwa, which was capital until the
13th century. From 1592 until the
19th century, Kandy was the capital city and thus the home of the Royal Palace and the Temple of the Tooth.Surviving invasions of coastal regions of Sri Lanka by the
Portuguese in the 16th century, by the
Dutch in the
17th century and having successfully repelled an attack by the British in 1803, Kandy preserved its independence until it finally submitted to the
British in 1815 when its chieftains submitted to British rule, after the last King of Kandy,
Sri Vikrama Raja Singha (
Raja Wickramasinghe) had been deposed after a reign spanning from 1798 to 1815. Since then, Kandy has preserved its function as the religious capital of Sri Lanka and a place of
pilgrimage for practitioners of the original form of Buddhism.
See also:
Invasions of KandyThe small city of Kandy, located 500 m above sea level, is filled with trees. Its plan developed around two open spaces: an elongated square at the end of which are the administration buildings of the old capital, and an artificial lake that is quadrangular in form. A public garden adds to the openness of the city's spatial organisation.
On the north shore of the lake, which is enclosed by a parapet of white stone dating to the beginning of the
19th century, are the city's official religious monuments, including the Royal Palace and the Temple of the Tooth, known as the Dalada Maligawa. Reconstructed in the
18th century, the Dalada Maligawa is built on a base of
granite that was inspired by the
temples of Sri Lanka's former capital city, Anuradhapura. An array of materials -
limestone,
marble, sculpted
wood,
ivory, etc. - contribute to the richness of this temple. Throughout this small but holy city, a number of recent Buddhist
monasteries can be found.
Kandy has now grown out to encompass
Peradeniya, home to the University of Peradeniya and the Botanical Gardens, and Katugastota to the north.
(inscription criteria from the
World Heritage List 1988)
 |
The tooth sanctuary |
The monumental ensemble of Kandy is an example of construction that associates the Royal Palace and the
Temple of the Tooth. It was one of a series of temples built in the places where the relic, the actual palladium of the Sinhalese monarchy, was brought following the various relocations of the capital city.
The Temple of the Tooth, the palace complex and the holy city of Kandy are associated with the history of the dissemination of one of the most important religions of humanity, Buddhism. The Temple of Kandy is the product of the last peregrination of the
relic of the tooth of Buddha and the testimony of a cult which continues to be practised today.
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Inside the Temple of the Tooth |
Kandy is also popular because of the annual festival known as the "Esala Maha Perahera" in which the tooth relic of Buddha is taken in a grand procession through the streets of the city. The tooth relic is taken on a royal tusker. The procession includes traditional dancers and drummers, flag bearers of the provinces of the old Kandyan kingdom, the Nilames(temple custodians) wearing their traditional dresses, torch bearers and also the grandly attired elephant. This ceremony which is annually held in the month of July, attracts large crowds fro all parts of the country and also many foreign tourists.
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Elephants at the Esala Perahera |
*The Sri Lanka
cricket team plays international
Test matches at the
Asgiriya International Stadium.
*The
Singer/
Srilankan Airlines International
Rugby 7's tournament is an annual sporting highlight held at the
Bogambara Stadium in Kandy.
For a city with a population of only 110,000 Kandy offers a variety of shopping destinations. From colourful and vibrant markets, to exquisite boutiques, and currently in construction - the Kandy City Centre - Sri Lanka's largest Commercial Shopping Complex, which will offer 6 floors of shopping, cinemas, entertainment zones, food courts, tourist floor and day and night bus and taxi service for visitors. The complex will also be the island's largest horizontal commercial building.
Kandy has a vibrant range of restaurants and fast food outlets. Just like most urban centres in Sri Lanka, food from around the world can be explored in some of Kandy's exciting restaurants, especially Chinese, European,Sri Lankan, Indian and some American fast food outlets.
For its size Kandy offers a reasonable nightlife. Most nightclubs are still mainly found in Hotels, but there are numerous Bars and Pubs in the city that bring out its real atmosphere.
*
Esala Perahera*
Esala Mangallaya*
Official UNESCO website entry*
Kandy city website.*
Sri Dalada Maligawa Website*
The Mary B. Wheeler Collection, University of Pennsylvania Library*
Kandy*
Official website of the Sri Lanka Tourism Board
