Kandy City

Home to the Temple of the Tooth, or the last royal capital of Sri Lanka, or a quite peaceful city lying amidst the hills – there can be several perspectives to studying the history of Kandy, considered to be the cultural capital of the island country. The city is full of surprises, so goes a common adage among the travelers to this historic city, and so it proves to be too! Back in the late 1400s when Kandy was referred to as the Kingdom of Kandy, it served as the throne to the ruling king Sena Sammatha Wickramabahu and his successors, followed by others in due course of time. Nayaks are considered to be the last royal rulers till the British successfully invaded it in the year 1815. The most attractive feature about this city is the relic, according to which the protector of the toothRead More

Considered to be one of the finest examples of Buddhist temple architecture, the Gadaladeniya Viharaya is definitely one of the must-visits when you’re planning a trip to Kandy in Sri Lanka. Inspired from South Indian architectural style, this temple was built during the reign of Gampola King Wicramabahu somewhere around 1344. A temple that is as old as the Gadaladeniya Viharaya usually doesn’t have much of its original charm left. But, guess what? You’ll still be able to catch the best features of this Buddhist temple. For instance the entrance doors carved from wood still includes the remnants of the paintings that form an integral part of temple architecture in Kandy. Also to be noticed are the frescoes and images that give the temple its true character. As is an important feature oRead More

The Sacred Tooth Relic Temple or Dalada Maligawa is a monumental architectural heritage of not just Kandy but the whole of Sri Lanka. This edifice was constructed to house the sacred tooth of Lord Buddha which was brought in to the country in a princess’s hair. It is considered the holiest place for many Buddhists not just in Sri Lanka but by believers across the globe. The Relic Tooth was brought to Kandy by King Wimaladharmasuriya I who took it out of Delgamuwa in Sabaragamuwa, remains of which do not exist anymore. Subsequent rulers either added something to the temple or constructed a new one to replace the decaying old structure, but it was the last Sri Lankan king Wickrama Rajasinghe, who built the Octagon or Pattirippuwa. Although the Octagon was an integral portion of Royal palaRead More

Asgiri Maha Viharaya is another one of Siyam Nikaya’s monastic centres. This is considered even older than the Malwathu Viharaya, having been founded in the 14th century by Commander Siriwardhana during the inquest of Parakramabahu IV of Kurunegala. Originally this structure was built to house the Buddhist monks (Bhikkhus) from Valasala hermitage in Yapahuva. The origin of the name Asgiri has a very interesting story as well. It was the translation of the name Valasala in to Pali language which made it in to Acchagiri, further translated to Sinhalese as Asgiri. There is another legend revolving around the origins of the nomenclature. The mother queen of Vikramabahu, Chandrawathie’s death and subsequent cremation at the Adahana Maluva (cremation ground) is said to have brought about theRead More

Located in the middle of the Gampola Kingdom, Ambuluwawa is a rock mountain discovered in the 14th century by the Sinhala King Buvanekabahu IV. However it wasn’t put in to any use. Ambuluwawa is about 365 feet above sea level and 1965 feet from the level of Gampola town. It is famous for its bio diverse composition with about 200 different kinds of plants from 80 plant families. The soil is red and of the latezoic type, while a number of medicinal plants are also grown here, namely Iramusu, Muva Kiriya, and Nawa Handi. The entire place is richly diverse and variegated, comprising of ever green forests, blossomed flower plants as well creepers. They are said to be a principal reason behind the cool mountain air. Ambuluwawa is surrounded by other mountains such as Pidurutalagala on the EaRead More