Kandy is undoubtedly the Buddhist heart of Sri Lanka, You will quickly realize it. Through the streets of this city, located at the beginning of the highlands, hundreds of white-dressed pilgrims roam with a single objective ... visit the Temple of the tooth of Buddha.
THE TEMPLE OF THE BUDDHA TOOTH
Legend has it that when Buddha died (well, he did not die ... he came to Nirvana, didn't he?) His ashes were distributed among India, Burma, Thailand and Sri Lanka. As it turns out, Sri Lanka touched the fat: among the ashes hid a tooth! But the legend does not end here, no no no ... that of things that happened to the Buddha's tooth: it is not known how but it ended up in India where a Hindu king wanted to destroy it forever, so that a devout Buddhist decided to hide it between his hairstyle and travel to Sri Lanka to return it to the place where it belonged. The tooth however could not rest ... the Portuguese soon arrived and with it the will to Christianize Sri Lanka (and of course, in a Christian Sri Lanka a Buddha tooth sounded like maximum heresy so 'to destroy the tooth has been said!' And they destroyed it, too bad that it was later discovered that a very wise monk had hidden the original by giving the Portuguese a rough copy Buddhists 1- Christians 0.
The truth is that the tooth cannot be seen: it is guarded inside a chest that is inside a box that is inside another chest that is inside another chest, so we do not know if this relic exists or if the Buddha's tooth they are the parents.
To enter the temple of the tooth of Buddha (Dalada Maligawa) You will have to pay a 1000 rupee ticket and dress appropriately (long pants and covered shoulders).
BUDA TOOTH APPEAR ... WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN KANDY?
We have to admit that the first time we visited it we were not excited, we decided to return to give it another chance and well, the thing has not changed much: between Kandy and us there is no feeling. This does not mean that you do not deserve a visit, it deserves it without a doubt, especially to leave from here with the train to the highlands, but we do not advise you to stay much in the city: one day is enough. These are the things we advise you to see (temple of the Buddha tooth apart):
TURN AROUND THE LAKE
The lake of Kandy is an artificial lake of about 3 km, going around there is undoubtedly relaxing (until a small lizard decides to stick a little nap a few meters from your feet).
EXPLORE THE CENTER
Kandy is not huge and its center is easily traveled in a couple of hours: stop by the Queen's Hotel (where Queen Isabel herself slept), visit the central market (one of the most colorful and 'scented' -hejem- we never saw ), walk the small streets full of businesses, tuk-tuks, restaurants and people (at times we seemed to have returned to India!)
VISIT THE BOTANICAL GARDEN
We did not go but it seems that Kandy Botanical Garden is one of the top visits of this city. It is 6 km from Kandy, has about 60 hectares of plants, flowers and trees and the entrance costs 1,100 rupees (somewhat expensive yes, but they say it is one of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the world).
UP TO THE BUDA DE LA COLINA
Get in a tuk tuk and climb the hill to meet in person the biggest Buddha in Kandy and to enjoy the best views of the city.
The tuk tuk should not cost more than 400 i / v + hold. The entrance to the Buddha costs 200 rupees.
ATIBORRARTE OF PASTELITOS
Kandy is famous for having some of the best bakery in Sri Lanka, a gift from the colonial era: cakes, cakes, cookies and more sweet and savory snacks. Delicious and at a good price (coconut-roti 25 rupees, ice cream 35 rupees, biscuits 40 rupees, cakes 40-100 rupees ...)
BUY SOUVENIRS
We don't buy almost anything (we don't want to spend money or want to carry extra weight in the backpacks) but in places like Kandy it's hard to resist temptations. The Odel store (No.6, Dalada Veediya) is worth a visit ... handmade notebooks, tea flavors, t-shirts, pants and beautiful dresses (not all ... but many!).
THREE TEMPLES NEAR KANDY
In the immediate vicinity of Kandy there are numerous Buddhist and Hindu temples, heritage of the history of this wonderful country. We propose an excursion to three of them, close to each other and connected by a beautiful walk, which can be visited in the same morning. Are these:
- Gadaladeniya temple (Buddhist temple).
- Lankathilaka temple: (Buddhist temple).
- Embekke shrine (Hindu sanctuary).
To get there, take a bus from Kandy that goes in the direction of Pilimathalawa (on the Kandy-Colombo route) and get off at Gadaladeniya junction, about 45 minutes. From there you can walk all the way to visit each temple. There are no entry prices but a donation if you want.
We leave Kandy behind and set course - again - towards the highlands of Sri Lanka: She is waiting for us!
USEFUL INFO
- How to get to Kandy from Colombo: There are several ways, perhaps the most recommended is the train. There are several throughout the day (5:55, 7:00, 8:30, 9:00, 9:45, 10:35, 12:40, 15:35), it is best to reserve a seat (no matter in what kind) to make sure you sit down. The journey takes about 2-3 hours. You can also go by bus from Pettah Central Station, frequent buses, it takes about 3-4 hours.
- Train to the highlands from Kandy: We caught him twice, the other time to Haputale and this time to Ella. In the mornings there are two schedules: at 8:45 and at 11:10, it is the train that goes to Badulla. To go to Nuwara Eliya you have to get off at the Nanuoya station, then there will be the Haputale and Ella stops. The journey to these last two is approximately 5 and 6 hours. The prices are:
- First class: 1250R
- second class: 600R
- third class (with seat reservation): 400R
- third class (without seat reservation): 210R
- Where to sleep in Kandy: We did it at the Hotel Kandy Paris.
