Map of Sri Lanka showing the location of Kandy in relation to 'C' Colombo

Kandy, Sri Lanka

Kandy, called Maha Nuvara in Sinhala,
although often shortened to Nuvara,
is probably one of the most interesting places in Sri Lanka, just under 120km from Colombo

The main draw to Kandy is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the golden-roofed Temple of the Tooth or Dalada Maligawa, where the sacred Buddha tooth relic is enshrined. - The golden roofed Dalada Maligawa - Image courtesy of srilankatourism.org.uk and The Sri Lanka Tourist Board for the UK and Ireland

At around 490m ASL The holy city of Kandy is the jewel in the crown of Sri Lanka's cultural crown and Sri Lanka’s most visited place after the capital.

The main draw to Kandy is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the golden-roofed Temple of the Tooth or Dalada Maligawa, where the sacred Buddha tooth relic is enshrined.

The Dalada Maligawa complex houses the Buddhist Publication Society of Kandy, Sri Lanka.

The best, and unfortunately the most expensive, time to visit Kandy is during Esala Perahera Buddhist festival that takes place in late July or early August, when on ten nights a replica of the sacred Buddha tooth relic casket is taken on a tusker of royal caste in a procession, accompanied by exotically costumed torch and banner bearers, Kandian dancers and drummers, together with around 100 elephants.

Kandy , situated on the banks of the Mahaweli River, was a 14th century King Wickramabahu's capital that fell to the British in 1815 and is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka, lying in the midst of the hills around the Kandy Valley, an area mainly of tea, tropical timber and fruit plantations, but mainly tea.

Kandy has preserved its status as the religious centre for the Sinhalese and place of pilgrimage for Buddhists from around the world, namely those belonging to the Theravada school of learning. Another festival is Esala Mangallaya.

For your Kandy holiday there are a number of good hotels, guesthouses and cottages in Kandy. A reasonable nightlife revolves around the tourist hotels. There are plenty of bars in the city that have an interesting local atmosphere.

Kandyan Dancers preserve and show in their traditional dances the ancient history and customs of old Ceylon and modern Sri Lanka.

Kandy ancient places and things to see:

Temple of the Tooth

Paradeniya Botanical Gardens

Kandyan crafts are well known and lacquerware, hemp mats and silver jewellery are popular buys.

Kandy is a point where you are close to the elephant orphanage at Pinnawela - one of the few places with a success record of breeding elephants in captivity.

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The conflict between the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, commonly known as “the Tamil Tigers”) ended in May 2009. Although the conflict is over, the LTTE are believed to retain some capability to mount terrorist attacks such as grenade or explosive device attacks and shootings. The Government has relaxed the State of Emergency, under which it has extensive anti-terrorism powers but there are still heightened levels of security (e.g. checkpoints, road blocks) throughout the country. You should exercise a high level of vigilance. The risk for the most part is one of being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. In order to minimise this, you should avoid military, government and paramilitary locations. Always carry formal photographic identification with you. Stop and show your ID when asked to do so. If you are detained, you should ask the authorities to contact the British High Commission.

Fatal attacks linked to the LTTE occurred throughout the country into 2009. Most attacks have been directed against Government and military targets though a number have been focussed on civilian targets such as crowded public places, public transport and market areas. Some of the most significant attacks included a suicide bomb at a political gathering in March 2009 and an air raid on military targets in Colombo in February 2009.

JeGraNet.com statement - 15 October 2008 - Quote from the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office website: "There is a high threat from terrorism in Sri Lanka. Fatal attacks have become more frequent. They have occurred in Colombo and throughout Sri Lanka, including places frequented by expatriate and foreign travellers. Further attacks may occur at any time. There is an increasing risk of British nationals being caught up in an attack". As independent travellers we left Colombo after just 9 days into our planned 6 month stay as a result of a feeling of insecurity, however we are sure that 'package tour' travellers to tourist resorts will probably enjoy a worry free holiday.