KANDY - LAST KINGDOM OF SRI LANKA

Situated 72 miles from Colombo, 1600 ft, above sea level.Almost encircled by the Mahaweli ganga, Sri Lana's longest river.This picturesque naturally fortified  town was the last strong hold of the Kandyan Kings and withheld foreign conquest till ceded to the British by treaty in1815.A cultural sanctuary where age old customs. arts,rituals and ways of life are well preserved.

The temple of the tooth (18th and 19th century),moated,with tapered roof and octagon, enshrines the sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha.The four Devale's  Dedicated to the deities Natha, Vishnu,Katharagama and Pattini are close by.Historic Malwatte and Asgiriya  monasteries.Audience Hall Where the kings of kandy held court,the Museum containing Kandyan period antiquities.The splendid age - old pageant - Esala perahera  -held annually for 10 nights during the Esala festival(August or late july) to fete the Tooth Relic.scores of elephants caparisoned in Batik costumes,Kandyan chief in ceremonial dresses,masked Kandyan drummers and dancers make this an unequalled spectacle.Other temples of interest in kandy's environs  are Gadaladeniya and Lankathilake (14th century) 

Embekke davale which has some exquisite wood carvings and a beautifully  turned-out wooden roof .Natural reserve at Udawattekelle and picturesque artificial lake in town.Early 19th century  British garrison Cemetery.several distinctive traditional arts and crafts in this region.Hempmat-weaving by the Kinnaras in the Dumbara Valley


 The delightful spectacle of working  elephants given their daily dip in the river at katugastota.