Kandy is a cosmopolitan city in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last headquarters of the ancient period of the Kingdoms of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the middle of the hills of the Kandy Plateau, which also traverses a vast region of tropical plantations, primarily tea. Kandy is both an administrative and a religious municipality, as well as being the capital of the Central Province of the country.
Kandy houses the Temple of the Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa), among the most sacred places of devotion to the Buddhist community. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.
Kandy Etymology
The city and the area have been identified by several various titles and combinations of names. Some scholars say that Kandy’s original title was Katubulu Nuwara, situated near the present Watapuluwa. Nevertheless, the most common historical naming is Senkadagala or Senkadagalapura, formally Senkadagala Siriwardhana Maha Nuwara (meaning ‘great city of Senkadagala of growing resplendence’), commonly simplified to ‘Maha Nuwara.’
As per legend, this term came from one of few other possible origins. One was the city named after a brahmin called Senkanda, who stayed in a cave nearby, another was the princess of Vikramabahu III named Senkanda, and the colored stone named Senkadagala. The Realm of Kandy has also been identified by other titles. The English name Kandy, which emerged in the colonial period, comes from the anglicized form of the Sinhala Kanda UdaRata (the land on the mountain) or the Kanda Uda Pas Rata (the five counties on the mountain).
This was simplified to “Candea” by the Portuguese, using the term for both the kingdom and its headquarters. In Sinhala, Kandy is named Maha Nuwara, implying “Great City” or “Capital,” even though it is most commonly condensed to Nuwara.
Kandy History
Sen Sammatha Wickramabahu (1473–1511) was the first ruler of the Kandy kingdom. He was a prince from the Kotte Royal Blood Line and governed Kandy as a semi-independent state under the Kotte Kingdom, rendering it the modern headquarters of the Kandyan Kingdom. Sena Sammatha Wickramabahu was preceded by his own son Jayaweera Astana (1511–1551.) And, next, by Karaliyadde Bandara (1551–1581) who was followed by his daughter Dona Catherina of Kandy (1581–1581). Dona Catherina was preceded by Rajasinha I. Rajasinha I, though, chose to govern the hill country of the Kingdom of Sitawaka to the west of the island. The time of strife for dominance concluded with the elevation to the throne of Konappu Bandara, who came to be recognized as Vimaladharmasuriya I. Having adopted Buddhism, he further strengthened his authority by taking the tooth relic of the Lord Buddha to Kandy from a position named Delgamuwa.
In 1592, Kandy became the capital of the last surviving sovereign kingdom on the island after the Portuguese invaded the coastal areas. Several Portuguese invasions have been repulsed, most prominently in the Danture fight. After the Sinhalese – Portuguese War and the creation of Dutch Ceylon, efforts by the Dutch to invade the kingdom were repulsed.
The Kingdom acknowledged the involvement of the Dutch on the coast of Sri Lanka, although assaults were sometimes launched. The most successful offensive was conducted in 1761, when King Kirti Sri Rajasinha invaded and invaded most of the coast, leaving only the highly defended Negombo unaffected. As the Dutch Retaliatory Army returned to the island in 1763, Kirti Sri Rajasinha left the coast and retreated to the interior. The next year, as the Dutch proceeded to the jungles, they were continuously threatened by disease, heat, shortage of supplies, and Kandyan snipers, who concealed in the jungle and inflicted severe losses on the Dutch.
Kandy Climate
As per the Köppen-Geiger climate classification method, it is a tropical region (Af). With Kandy situated in the center of the island and at a high altitude, the city has comparatively wet and colder temperatures than the tropical climate of the rest of the country, particularly the coastal regions. Nuwara Eliya is south of it and has a colder atmosphere owing to its higher altitude. However, Kandy’s climate is indeed tropical, with annual year-round temperatures reaching 18°C on average. The city has a dryer cycle from January to April.
From May to July and October to December, the area is undergoing its monsoon season, during which time the weather is harsh and unpredictable. From March to mid-May there is an inter monsoonal season, during which there is light rain and high humidity. Typically, humidity is between 70% and 79%.
Kandy Cityscape
The city of Kandy sits at an altitude of 465 meters (1,526 ft) above sea level. Its layout was built around two open spaces: an extended square, at the end of these, are the administrative facilities of the old capital, and a manmade lake, which is quadrangular in nature. The community garden adds to the inclusiveness of the city’s spatial system.
Kandy has now expanded to include Peradeniya, host to the University of Peradeniya and the Botanical Gardens, Kundasale, Tennekumbura, and Gurudeniya to the east, and Katugastota to the north.
Kandy Summary: Kandy is a multicultural city in the central province of Sri Lanka. It was the last stronghold of the ancient Kingdoms of the country. Kandy is home to the Temple of the Tooth Relic, one of the most sacred places of devotion in the Buddhist nation. The town sits in the center of the hills of the Kandy Plateau, which also crosses a large field of tropical plantations, mostly tea. It is both an urban and a religious municipality as well as the seat of the Central Province. It was called after a brahmin, a princess, a colored stone, and a princess named Senkanda. In 1988, the temple was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In 1592, after the Portuguese conquered the coastal lands, Kandy became the headquarters of the last remaining independent monarchy on the island. Kandy is located at an altitude of 465 meters (1,526 ft) above sea level. The city’s existing religious landmarks, such as the Royal Palace and the Temple of the Tooth, are located on the north shore of the lake, enclosed by white stone ramparts dating back to the early 19th century. It has a drying period from January to April, the city is facing a monsoon season, during which time the weather is severe and erratic. Annual year-round temperatures are on average 18°C.