Villas in Kandy

In 1592 Kandy became the capital city of the last remaining independent kingdom in the island after the coastal regions had been conquered by the Portugese. Several invasions by the Portuguese and the Dutch (16th, 17th and 18th century) and later by the British (most notably in 1803) were repelled. 

Kandy stayed independent until the early 19th century until in the Second Kandyan War, the British launched an invasion that met no resistance and reached the city on February 10, 1815. On March 2, 1815, a treaty known as the Kandyan Convention was signed between the British and the Radalas (Kandyan aristocrats).

As the capital, Kandy had become home to the relic of the tooth of the Buddha which symbolizes a 4th-century tradition that used to be linked to the Sinhalese monarchy, since the protector of the relic was the ruler of the land. Thus the Royal Palace and the Temple of the Tooth were placed in close proximity to each other.

Kandy remains an important religious centre of the Sinhalese and a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists belonging to the Theravada school. It is the second-largest city of the island and the capital of Central Province of modern Sri Lanka. The Temple of the Tooth (Palace of the tooth relic) is the place that houses the Tooth Relic.

Kandy is very popular due to the annual (July or August) parade known as the Esala Perahera in which one of the inner caskets used for covering the tooth relic of Buddha is taken in a grand procession through the streets of the city. This casket is taken on an elephant. The procession includes traditional dancers and drummers, flag bearers of the provinces of the old Kandyan kingdom, the Nilames (lay custodians of temples ) wearing their traditional dresses, torch bearers and also the grandly attired elephant. 

The Peradenyia Royal Botanical Gradens is situated about 5 km to the west of the city centre and is the largest botanical garden on the island.

Kandy is a World Heritage City; the gateway to the Tea country and Cultural Triangle; houses the most important Buddhist Temple on the island; has the magnificent gardens which are a ‘must-see’ and it has South Asia’s best golf course some 20 mins from the city centre and where our chosen villa sits with stunning views over the vast Victoria Reservoir.