Kandy

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.

Kandyan Art Association & Cultural Centre, beside the lake, has a good selection of local lacquerworl, brassware and other craft items in a colonial-era showroom covered in a patina of age. There are some crafts people working on the spot. There's a government-run Lasala arts and crafts shop to the west of the lake with cheaper prices than the art Association & Cultural Centre, but it has nothing on the big Laksala in Colombo. Central Kandy has a number of shops selling antique jewellery, silver belts and other items. You can also but crafts in and around the colourful main market on station Rd. Kandy has a number of batik manufacturere; some of the best and most original are the batik pictures on thePeradeniya Rd outside Kandy.