Kandy
Kandy is the paradise with graceful charm. Dalada Maligawa is the palace of the Sacred Tooth Relic the important monument, Kandy Lake, Hill top hotels, Peradeniya botanical garden the best in the East Asia, a must visit site in your Sri Lanka holiday.
Kandy became the capital city of the Sinhala King in 1592. The brave Sinhala King and their soldiers repulsed the Portuguese and Dutch invaders. They held out against the British until 1815. Kandy Esala Perahera is a cultural and colorful event that takes place during the first week of August and end with the full moon day. The Magul Maduwa is the Audience Hall with its wooden columns is the epitome of Kandian architecture. Asgiriya and Malwatte two prelates are rested with full Shrines amnd the devales are dedicated to God Vishnu, Skanda, Natha and the goddess Pathini.The Botanical garden is an unusual example for creative gardening. The palm saplings were brought from Panama in 1903. The garden has plant species from all over the world.You can see many thousands of bats (Mammals) with wings hanging up side down on the tall large trees.Making a boat trip in the Kandy Lake will be a great pleasure.
Kandy Perahera, the procession leading by whip crackers followed by cultural dancers and many more performances, illuminated elephants are marvels. Special arrangements are made for foreign spectators.Spending 2 or 3 days in Kandy is really worth.
Anuradhapura
From stunning rock carvings and temples to giant stone pillars, history lovers are in for a rare treat at Anuradhapura, the first capital of ancient Sri Lanka. Located 206 km from Colombo, Anuradhapura is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the world’s major archaeological sites. Perfectly landscaped pleasure gardens,vast irrigation lakes and places of religious worship are a plenty here and Anuradhapura also features the spectacular Ruwanweli Seya dagoba and the sacred bo-tree Sri Maha Bodhi which is one of the oldest trees in the world. Other attractions include the Aukana Buddha Statue, Mihintale Rock, Abhayagiri Stupa and Monastery and the “Isurumuniya Lovers” rock carvings.
Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa is Sri Lanka’s second oldest kingdom and features a plethora of ruins and places of religious worship. Ancient Sinhala architecture combined with the South Indian architectural characteristics is what sets Polonnaruwa apart from Anuradhapura. Some of the many interesting places to visit in Polonnaruwa include the Gal Viharaya (Stone temple),Lankathilake Buddhist shrine,the Tivanka Image House,the Nissanka Latha Mandapaya and of course the famous Moonstones – the unique rock carvings found at the entrances or at the bottom of stairways to temples, shrines, dagobas, and other important buildings.
Dambulla
The Dambulla Templae is located on a gigantic rock towering more than 160 m above the surrounding area. The Rock itself is more than 1.5 km around its base and summit is at 550 km. The caves on this rock were the refuge of King Walagamba when he was in exile for 14 years. After his return to the throne in the 1st century BC, King Walagamba had this magnificent rock temple built at Dambulla. The caves feature a mixture of religious and worldly paintings and sculptures. Several reclining Buddha’s which includes the 15 m long sculpture of the dying Buddha. The famous Dambulla frescoes on the walls and ceiling dates back to the 15th-18th centuries.
Sigiriya
Sigiriya is a magnificent rock fortress built in the 5th century A.D. This majestic Citadel in the sky was the refuge of King Kasyapa who murdered his father and stole the throne from his elder brother – the rightful heir to the throne. Kasyapa built his fortress on this 182 meter high rock to protect himself from his enemies. Sigiriya is world renowned for its ‘Mirror Wall’, which consists of poems and paragraphs carved by some of the thousands of visitors who visited the rock many years ago, and of course for its magnificent frescoes, similar to the Ajantha frescoes of India. Sigiriya is in fact, the best-preserved city centre in Asia from the first millennium and has been named as a world heritage site.