Kandy-a major tourist destination-is also known as the cultural capital of Sri Lanka. Nestled in the hills at an altitude of 488 m, it is located at a distance of 115 km from Colombo.
Kandy has a rich history. It was originally known as Senkadagala pura after a hermit named Senkada who lived there. Many of Sinhalese people call it Mahanuwara meaning the Great City. The name Kandy was derived by the colonial rulers from the word Kanda in Sinhala, meaning a hill. Kandy was the stronghold of the Sinhalese kings, who promoted and protected the local culture until the city fell to the British in 1815.
Today a bustling commercial city, Kandy is famous for the Kandy Perahara-a huge cultural pageant that takes place in the month of July or August. It is one of the most colorful processions of the world. Thousands of drummers and dancers accompanying a parade of ornamented elephants perform in the streets of Kandy. The leading tusker carries the sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha, while the spectators pay homage to it. The procession moves along the streets for seven consecutive nights and concludes on the day of the August full moon.
History of Kandy - Kandy is believed to have been first settled in the 14th century by King Wickramabahu, who established a territory north of what constitutes as the current city. The territory was named Senkadagalapur, a title thought to have been taken from the name Senkanda, a local Brahmin, or from Queen Sendanka, the wife of King Wickramabahu. Alternatively, the name might have been taken from the coloured stone Senkadagala.
During the 16th century, the Portuguese conquered much of Sri Lanka's coastal region, prompting the native settlers to create the capital and stronghold of Kandy in order to defend those areas that were still free from colonialism. From there on, the city proved to be a force to be reckoned with, successfully defending itself against attacks by the Portuguese, Dutch and British during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.
The Dutch in particular faced heavy defeats during this period, struggling with the adverse conditions in the jungles and outwitted by Kandyan soldiers who were well adjusted to the terrain. Portuguese offensives launched earlier in the same period were similarly unsuccessful.
The British eventually established superiority across the country in 1815, marking an end to Kandy's independence and the ultimate eradication of Nayak control, the city's final ruling dynasty. Sri Lanka's monarchy and ruling line was subsequently abolished and replaced. British rule failed to diminish the city's importance as a destination for religious pilgrimage, with the Temple of the Tooth (housing a tooth of the Buddha) continuing to draw the devoted.
