Kandy sits in the Central Highlands at approximately 500 meters elevation, 115 kilometers northeast of Colombo. The city occupies a valley surrounded by mountains, centered on an artificial lake constructed by King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe between 1807 and 1812. Kandy served as the capital of the last independent Sinhalese kingdom from 1592 until British forces captured it in 1815, ending more than 2,300 years of continuous monarchical rule on the island. The city's formal name is Maha Nuwara, meaning Great City in Sinhala. UNESCO inscribed Kandy as a World Heritage Site in 1988, recognizing both the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and the broader sacred city status the settlement holds within Buddhist tradition. Census figures from 2012 recorded approximately 125,400 residents within municipal limits, though the greater metropolitan area contains roughly 160,000 people. The elevation moderates temperatures compared to coastal regions, with average highs ranging from 26 to 29 degrees Celsius year-round.
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, known locally as Sri Dalada Maligawa, constitutes the primary reason most visitors travel to Kandy. Buddhists believe the temple houses a tooth of Gautama Buddha, brought to Sri Lanka from Kalinga, India in the 4th century CE, concealed in the hair of Princess Hemamali. Historical records indicate various kings relocated the relic as capital cities changed, with the tooth arriving in Kandy in 1592 when King Vimaladharmasuriya I established the city as his capital. The current temple structure dates primarily from the early 18th century, though King Vimaladharmasuriya I built the original shrine in 1595. The octagonal Patthirippuwa pavilion in front of the temple was added by King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe in the early 1800s. The relic itself remains enclosed within seven nested golden caskets, visible to visitors only during specific ceremonial moments. Daily puja rituals occur three times: 5:30 AM, 9:30 AM, and 6:30 PM, when monks open the chamber containing the caskets while pilgrims and tourists queue to view from a distance. The temple complex includes multiple shrines, a museum housing gifts presented by visiting dignitaries, and a library of Buddhist texts written on palm leaves.
Kandy hosts the Esala Perahera, a ten-day Buddhist festival held annually in July or August during the lunar month of Esala. The procession dates to the 18th century under King Kirthi Sri Rajasinha, who formalized the event in its current structure, though historical records suggest earlier versions existed. The festival combines four separate peraheras from four devales dedicated to the guardian deities Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama, and goddess Pattini. Between 50,000 and 100,000 spectators typically attend the final Randoli Perahera night, when over 100 elephants parade through streets accompanied by traditional dancers, drummers, fire performers, and whip crackers. The Maligawa Tusker, the elephant carrying the golden casket containing a replica of the tooth relic, wears an elaborate costume decorated with thousands of electric lights. The procession follows a route approximately four kilometers long through central Kandy, beginning at the Temple of the Tooth and circling the Kandy Lake before returning. Hotels in the city center raise rates 200-400 percent during Esala Perahera week, with rooms requiring booking six months to one year in advance.
The Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya occupy 59.4 hectares along a bend of the Mahaweli River, six kilometers west of Kandy city center. British Governor Edward Barnes formally established the gardens in 1821, though historical accounts indicate earlier royal gardens existed on this site during the Kandyan Kingdom period. The gardens contain more than 4,000 plant species, including an extensive orchid collection with approximately 300 varieties, a palm collection containing 175 species from across tropical regions, and a spice garden displaying cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, and nutmeg in cultivation. The giant Javan fig tree, planted in 1886, covers 2,500 square meters with its canopy. One avenue features 14 bo trees planted by visiting heads of state and notable figures, including King George V in 1901, Czar Nicholas II of Russia in 1891, and Yuri Gagarin in 1961. A suspension bridge built in 1830 crosses the river at the garden's western edge. The garden's herbarium contains approximately 100,000 preserved plant specimens used for botanical research. Entrance fees stand at 1,500 rupees for foreign adults, 750 rupees for foreign children, with substantially lower rates for Sri Lankan nationals.
Kandy Lake, locally called Kiri Muhuda or Sea of Milk, is entirely artificial, created by King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe in 1807 by flooding rice paddies in the valley center. The lake covers approximately 18 hectares with a perimeter walking path of 3.4 kilometers. Historical accounts from British chronicler John Davy recorded that Kandyan nobles opposed the project, viewing it as an unnecessary burden on labor and resources, but the king proceeded using forced labor. A parapet wall surrounds the lake, constructed with the same white plaster visible on the Temple of the Tooth complex. An island near the lake's center, called Kiri Samudraya, formerly housed the king's personal bathing pavilion, though no structures remain visible today. The lake's depth averages five to six meters. Fish populations include introduced tilapia and carp, though feeding fish is officially prohibited due to water quality concerns. The lakeside path provides views of the Temple of the Tooth's golden roof and the surrounding mountain ranges, particularly from the western shore near the Malwatte Viharaya.
The city's history as a political entity began when King Senasammata Vikramabahu established Senkadagalapura in 1371 on a site near present Kandy, though the specific settlement relocated multiple times before King Vimaladharmasuriya I founded the current city in 1592. Kandy remained independent while Portuguese forces controlled coastal regions from 1505 to 1658, and while Dutch forces held those same areas from 1658 to 1796. British forces made unsuccessful attempts to capture Kandy in 1762, 1803, and 1804 before successfully occupying the city in 1815 through a combination of military pressure and negotiation with Kandyan nobles who had become dissatisfied with King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe. The Convention of Kandy, signed on March 2, 1815, transferred sovereignty to the British Crown while initially promising to preserve Buddhist practices and customs. The British suppressed the Uva-Wellassa Rebellion of 1817-1818, executing rebel leaders and depopulating certain regions. Colonial authorities maintained Kandy as an administrative center, constructing roads, introducing coffee cultivation in surrounding hills, and establishing educational institutions including Trinity College in 1872.
The city's architectural landscape combines Kandyan-era structures with British colonial buildings. The Audience Hall or Magul Maduwa, constructed in 1784, features 64 wooden pillars carved with distinctive patterns, though the building underwent substantial restoration in 1931. The hall served for royal ceremonies and state functions during the monarchy, and hosted the signing of the 1815 Convention transferring power to Britain. British colonial buildings include the General Post Office constructed in 1895, the Kandy Municipal Council building from 1940, and the Queen's Hotel, opened in 1845 as the governor's residence before conversion to a hotel in 1895. The Garrison Cemetery on the hillside north of the lake contains graves of British soldiers and administrators from 1817 onward, including John Fraser, the British agent who negotiated the 1815 Convention. Traditional Kandyan-style houses feature thick walls constructed from clay and stone, small windows, decorative woodwork on doors and pillars, and red-tiled roofs with overhanging eaves. Several examples remain in the older neighborhoods around Kotugodella and Mulgampola, though urban development has replaced many with concrete structures.