Kandy, in the mountainous middle of the island, was the pre-colonial capital of Sri Lanka. On our recent trip we were slightly disappointed in what Kandy had to offer and in retropsect should have spent only two, rather than three nights there. However there are three things definitely worth experiencing in Kandy. The first is a stay in one of the hotels in the mountains overlooking the city, so you can take in stunning views like the one above from our hotel room balcony.
The second must-do in Kandy is a visit to the botanic gardens and especially the orchid house.
The final experience not to miss in Kandy is a visit to the Temple of the Tooth Relic. This contains a casket with a tooth believed to have belonged to the Buddha. But the Tooth Temple is more than simply a religious site. Because of the close association of Buddhism with Sinhalese national identitity, the temple has wider social and political significance for Sinhalese Sri Lankans. This explains why the temple was a target for terrorist attacks by Tamil Tiger rebels during the recent, thankfully now over, civil war.
On the day we visited the Temple. It was extremely crowded, whiche we assumed to be because the day was one of Sri Lanka's many, many public holidays. However, our guide assured us that crowds like this were the norm every day of the year, with most Sinhalese visiting the temple a couple of times a year.
Above the altar for the caskets containingthe Buddha's tooth which lies behind the screen which is drawn back three times a day. Below, floral offerings.
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