Kandy

Kandy, also called Senkadagalapura, lies among the central mountains of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the island’s Sinhala kings and the home of the Temple of the Tooth, which houses a relic revered as a tooth of the Buddha. Possession of the relic carried deep significance for kingship, and its shrine stood beside the royal palace. Mountains and narrow approaches helped protect the kingdom while Portuguese, Dutch and British powers sought influence over the coast.

King Vimaladharmasuriya I brought the tooth relic to Kandy in 1595 and built a shrine for it within the palace complex. Kandyan rulers defended their independence against the Portuguese and at times allied with the Dutch, though the latter ultimately controlled much of the coast. Successive kings enlarged and adorned the temple; under Sri Vikrama Rajasinha an octagonal pavilion was added as a place from which the ruler could address his subjects. In 1815 British forces took Kandy and the last king was deposed. The city remained a major Buddhist pilgrimage centre, its temple and royal buildings recalling the long association of sacred relic, court and kingdom.