Overview
Kandy, important independent monarchy in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) at the end of the 15th century and the last Sinhalese kingdom to be subjugated by a colonial power. Kandy survived the attacks of Ceylon’s first two colonial rulers—the Portuguese and the Dutch—and finally succumbed to the third and last colonial ruler, the British, in 1818. While all the other Sinhalese kingdoms had been extinguished by the Portuguese in the early 1600s, Kandy survived with stubborn persistence for another two centuries. King Rajasinha occupied Kandy, a Sinhalese kingdom in the Central Highlands, about 1580, and its ruler took refuge with the Portuguese. In 1591 the Portuguese launched an expedition to Kandy to enthrone Dom Philip, an heir of the dispossessed ruler. They were accompanied by an ambitious and distinguished Sinhalese military nobleman, Konnappu Bandara. Dom Philip was installed as king but died under suspicious circumstances, and Konnappu Bandara enthroned himself, proclaiming independence from the Portuguese and taking the regnal name of Vimala Dharma Surya. The demise of Sitawake after Rajasinha’s death left Kandy the only independent Sinhalese kingdom.
Highlights
- Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) This is one of the most sacred Buddhist temples in the world
- It houses a relic believed to be a tooth of Buddha
- The temple complex is a beautiful example of Sri Lankan architecture
- Peradeniya Botanical Gardens are a tranquil oasis featuring a vast collection of plants, including orchids palms, and a giant bamboo grove
- Kandy Lake also known as Kiri Muhuda or the Sea of Milk, is a picturesque lake in the heart of the city