Kandy City

Place of interest

Place of Interest

Dalada Maligawa
Undoubtedly the greatest attraction of the city is this building, the Temple of the Scared Tooth Relic or the Dalada Maligawa. It is one of the most sacred places for the Buddhists all over the world. The temple is visited by thousands of devotees every day. Specially famous for its Sinhalese style architecture, the most dominant feature of the building is the Octagon (Pattirippuwa). This was the place from where the king addressed the public on important occasions.

Vishnu Devale
On to the North-West of the palace, is the Maha Vishnu Devale a shrine built in the 18th Century dedicated to God Vishnu of the Hindu Pantheon also worshiped by the Buddhists. On the upper terrace is the main linear building, a mug and stone structure on a podium, with an upper story at the Northern end above the sanctuary where the icon is placed. This building complex is entered through a two storeyed Vahalkada (entrance doorway), to an open hall with timber columns in the middle terrace, a beautifully carved stone flight of steps and the grumming hall. On the upper terrace is another small shrine, the God Dedimunda's Shrine and a large Bo-tree.

Natha Devale
Natha Devale is the oldest shrine in Kandy, built in the 14th century. One of the best examples showing the influence of South Indian architecture; a stone built structure depicting three storeys, surmounted with a domical stupa on top of the inner chamber is entered through an open colonnade hall. The two upper storeys are non functional. It has a beautiful bronze icon of God Lokeshwara Natha, a Bodhisathwa of the Mahayana Buddhist pantheon. The entrance Vahalkada of the Devale, is a beautifully ornamented double roofed archway, a good or typical example of an entrance gateway in Sinhalese architecture.

Pattini Devale
Situated to the west of Natha Devale across the Eth Veediya (Elephant street) is the Pattini Devale. A simple, small mud built rectangular building with an imposing roof on the top. This shrine is dedicated to the Goddess of Chastity, Pattni Deviyo.

Wel Bodhiya
Outside the entrance archway to Pattini Devale at the Northern wall is an ancient Bo-tree shrin, ' Well Bodhiya' on top of a stepped terraced platform. This Bodhi tree, is venerated as one of the off-shoots of the Sacred Bo-tree in Anuradhapura.

Kataragama Devale
Premises of this shrine is little away from the Place, has its access from the commercial area through a colourful ornamented gateway. A linear building with a two storeyed section above the sanctum. The icon of the God Kataragama or Skanda is represented by a figure with six heads, twelve hands and riding on a Peacock chariot.

Gangarama Vihara
Located about 2 kilometers to the east of the Palace complex, the image house is built around a ten metre high standing Buddha statue, carved out of an in-situ natural rock. The central hall of the building covered with a double pitched hipped roof is cladded with flat clay tiles. The lower roof covers the verandah built around the central hall. Entrance to the central shrine is through a decorated arched door. The inner walls of the shrine are completely covered with finely drawn murals that speak of the artistic and religious concepts of the ancient kings.

Hindagala Vihara
This is an ancient temple belonging to the Malwatta Vihara found further away at Peradeniya - Galaha road and the location is very beautiful covered with long green trees and bounded by a cascading stream flowing through the forest. A cave temple on a hill is reached by a long steep flight of stone steps. One of the caves has been converted to an image house with a large reclining Buddha statue. Mural Paintings preserved in this cave has been done in four periods of Sri Lankan History. The earliest is on the rock ceiling (7th century), the paintings on interior walls of the shrine are of 14th and 18th centuries and the exterior wall paintings are of 1911.

Other historical monuments in the out skirts of Kandy
The vicinity of Kandy too abounds with monuments of various historical interest. Mostly religious buildings constructed during 14th 18th century.

Lankatilaka Vihara
Lankatilaka image house is considered to be one of the best examples of traditional Sinhalese temple architecture in existence. Built on a rock with a beautiful setting, the temple is reached by a long series of rock cut steps. An arched passage of the image house leads through a Mandapa (hall) into the inner sanctum which is richly decorated with beautiful floral designs. The two side walls and the ceiling are decorated with paintings. A colossal seated image of the Buddha in the inner sanctum is placed under a beautiful Makra Torana. This monument has an interesting multiple roof structure covered with flat clay tiles.

Gadaladeniya Vihara
A special building of South Indian origin with a Devale attached to it, similar in character to the Natha Devale and the Gedige of Adahana Maluwa. The main shrine room has a seated Buddha statue and the remains of some paintings of the Gampola period.

Architecturally this is considered as one of the most important buildings of the 14th century. The stone built image house, representing south Indian temple architecture has a large seated Buddha statue in the main axis of the building and statue of God Upulwan (Vishnu) along the secondary axis perpendicular to the main axis. The roofed stupa the Vijayothpaya is on a high stone platform with four image houses facing the four sides mounted with small stupas.

Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya
The best garden in the country that one should never miss visiting. Begun as a Pleasure Garden of a Kandyan King, the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya is surrounded by the river Mahaweli on three sides and is connected to the opposite bank by a suspension bridge. The garden itself is an example of the wealth and beauty of the tropics with over hundred varieties of palm trees., palm avenues, where the palms such as Talipot grow to an immense size, wondrous arches of glossy foliage, lovely fernery and orchid houses with rare blossoms and spice trees in groves make it a rich botanical heritage.