View source for Kandy

{{Short description|Second largest City  of Sri Lanka,located in Central Province}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Distinguish|Kandi|candy}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox settlement<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
| name                   = Kandy
| native_name            = {{nativename|si|මහනුවර}}<br />{{nativename|ta|கண்டி}}
| native_name_lang       = 
| settlement_type        = [[Administrative centre|Administrative capital city]]
| image_skyline          = {{multiple image
 |total_width            = 300
 |border                 = infobox
 |perrow                 = 1/2/2/2
 |caption_align          = center
 |image1                 = SL Kandy asv2020-01 img04 Queens Hotel.jpg
 |alt1                   = 
 |caption1               = Downtown Kandy
 |image2                 = Front view of Temple of the Tooth, Kandy.jpg
 |alt2                   = 
 |caption2               = [[Temple of the Tooth]]
 |image3                 = Bahirawakanda buddha statue.jpg
 |alt3                   = 
 |caption3               = [[Sri Maha Bodhi Viharaya|Bahirawakanda Temple]]
 |image4                 = Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.JPG
 |alt4                   = 
 |caption4               = [[Pallekele International Cricket Stadium]]
 |image5                 = Sarachchandra Theatre.jpg
 |alt5                   = 
 |caption5               = [[Sarachchandra Open-Air Theatre]]
 |image6                 = Botanical Garden of Peradeniya 03.jpg
 |alt6                   = 
 |caption6               = [[Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya]]
 |image7                 = Sri lanka kandy esala perahera.jpg
 |alt7                   = 
 |caption7               = [[Kandy Esala Perahera]]
 }}
| image_flag             = 
| image_seal             = 
| image_shield           = 
| nicknames               = <br> Nuwara <small>({{langx|si|නුවර|Nuwara|engvar=gb}})</small> <br> Senkadagala <small>({{langx|si|සෙංකඩගල|Seṁkaḍagala|engvar=gb}})</small>
| motto                  = Loyal and Free{{force singular}}
| image_map              = 
| map_caption            = 
| pushpin_map            = Sri Lanka#South Asia#Asia
| pushpin_label_position = Location of Kandy in Sri Lanka
| coordinates            = {{Wikidatacoord|Q203197|region:LK_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type       = Country
| subdivision_name       = Sri Lanka
| subdivision_type1      = [[Provinces of Sri Lanka|Province]]
| subdivision_name1      = [[Central Province, Sri Lanka|Central Province]]
| subdivision_type2      = [[Districts of Sri Lanka|District]]
| subdivision_name2      = [[Kandy District]]
| subdivision_type3      = [[Divisional secretariats of Sri Lanka|Divisional Secretariat]]
| subdivision_name3      = [[Kandy Four Gravets and Gangawata Korale Divisional Secretariat]]
| established_title      = Senkadagalapura
| established_date       = 14th century
| established_title2     = [[Capital of Sri Lanka|Capital]] of the [[Kingdom of Kandy]]
| established_date2      = 1469
| founder                = [[Senasammata Vikramabahu]]
| government_type        = [[Municipal councils of Sri Lanka|Municipal Council]]
| governing_body         = [[Kandy Municipal Council]]
| leader_party           = 
| leader_title           = [[List of mayors of Kandy|Mayor]]
| leader_name            = Chandrasiri Wijenayake<br />[[National People's Power|(NPP)]]
{{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
 |child                  = yes
 |Name                   = Sacred City of Kandy
 |Criteria               = Cultural: iv, vi
 |ID                     = 450
 |Year                   = 1988
 }}
| unit_pref              = Metric
| area_total_km2         = 28.53
| area_land_km2          = 
| area_water_km2         = 
| elevation_footnotes    = 
| elevation_m            = 500
| population_footnotes   = 
| population_total       = 125,400
| population_as_of       = 2011
| population_density_km2 = 4591
| population_demonym     = Kandyan
| timezone1              = [[Sri Lanka Standard Time]]
| utc_offset1            = +05:30
| timezone1_DST          = 
| utc_offset1_DST        = 
| postal_code_type       = [[Postal codes in Sri Lanka|Postal code]]
| postal_code            = 20000
| area_code_type         = 
| area_code              = [[Telephone numbers in Sri Lanka|081]]
| website                = [https://kandy.mc.gov.lk/ Kandy Municipal Council]
}}

'''Kandy''' ({{langx|si|මහනුවර|Mahanuwara|engvar=gb}} {{IPA|si|mahanuʋərə||audio=Si-Mahanuwara.ogg}}; {{langx|ta|கண்டி|Kaṇṭi|engvar=gb}} {{IPA|ta|ˈkaɳɖi||audio=Ta-கண்டி.ogg}}) is a major city located in the [[Central Province, Sri Lanka|Central Province]] of [[Sri Lanka]]. It was the last capital of the [[Sinhalese monarchy]] from 1469 to 1818, under the [[Kingdom of Kandy]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.archaeology.gov.lk/arch_assets1.html |title=Major Cultural Assets/Archaeological Sites |access-date=24 October 2010 |publisher=Department of Archaeology Sri Lanka |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100329223537/http://www.archaeology.gov.lk/arch_assets1.html |archive-date=29 March 2010 }}</ref> The city is situated in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly [[tea]]. Kandy is both an administrative and religious city and the capital of the Central Province. Kandy is the home of the [[Temple of the Tooth]] Relic (''Sri Dalada Maligawa''), one of the most sacred places of worship in the [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] world. It was declared a [[World Heritage Site]] by UNESCO in 1988.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/450 |title=Sacred City of Kandy |publisher=UNESCO |access-date=1 May 2017 |archive-date=22 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922224209/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/450/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Historically the local [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] rulers resisted Portuguese, Dutch, and British colonial expansion and occupation.

== Etymology ==
The city and the region have been known by many different names and versions of those names. Some scholars suggest that the original name of Kandy was Katubulu Nuwara located near the present [[Watapuluwa]]. However, the more popular historical name is Senkadagala or Senkadagalapura, officially Senkadagala Siriwardhana Maha Nuwara (meaning 'great city of Senkadagala of growing resplendence'), generally shortened to 'Maha Nuwara'. According to folklore, this name originated from one of the several possible sources. One being the city was named after a [[brahmin]] with the name Senkanda who lived in a cave nearby, and another being a queen of [[Vikramabahu III of Gampola|Vikramabahu III]] was named Senkanda, and after a coloured stone named Senkadagala. In addition, there is another idea that the ancient name Senkadagala was born from the name of Lord [[Vishnu]], who was also known as [[Chenkatan]]. The [[Kingdom of Kandy]] has also been known by various names. The English name Kandy, which originated during the colonial era, is derived from an anglicised version of the [[Sinhala language|Sinhala]] Kanda Uda Rata (meaning the land on the mountain) or Kanda Uda Pas Rata (the five counties/countries on the mountain). The Portuguese shortened this to "Candea", using the name for both the kingdom and its capital. In Sinhala, Kandy is called ''Maha Nuwara'', meaning "Great City" or "The Capital", although this is most often shortened to ''Nuwara'' in daily use.<ref name="srilankanmap.com">{{cite web |title=Kandy Map |url=http://srilankanmap.com/kandymap.html |publisher=SriLankanMap |access-date=23 June 2011 |archive-date=30 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030033213/http://srilankanmap.com/kandymap.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

== History ==
{{See also|History of Sri Lanka}}

=== Founding ===
Historical records suggest that Kandy was first established by the [[Parakramabahu IV|Parakramabahu III]] (1357–1374 AD), who was the monarch of the [[Kingdom of Kurunegala]], southeast of the present city, and named ''Senkadagalapura'' at the time. Minister and General Siriwardhana built the [[Asgiri Maha Viharaya]] in Kandy, which is the oldest establishment in Kandy.

=== Kandyan Kingdom ===
{{Main|Kingdom of Kandy}}
[[File:AMH-6978-KB_The_Portuguese_Pedro_Lopez_welcomes_the_Empress_of_Ceylon,_Dona_Catharina.jpg|left|thumb|Portuguese governor [[Pedro Lopes de Sousa]] welcomes [[Kusumasana Devi]] a.k.a. Dona Catharina during the campaign of Danture, 1594]]
{{History of Kandy}}

[[Sena Sammatha Wickramabahu of Kandy|Sena Sammatha Wickramabahu]] (1473–1511) was the first king of the [[Kingdom of Kandy]]. He was a royal from the Kotte Royal Bloodline and ruled Kandy as a semi-independent kingdom under the [[Kingdom of Kotte]], making it the new capital of the Kandyan Kingdom. Sena Sammatha Wickramabahu was followed by his son [[Jayaweera Astana of Kandy|Jayaweera Astana]] (1511–1551) and then by [[Karaliyadde Bandara of Kandy|Karaliyadde Bandara]] (1551–1581) who was succeeded by his daughter [[Dona Catherina of Kandy]] (1581–1581). Dona Catherina was succeeded by [[Rajasinha I of Sitawaka|Rajasinha I]]. Rajasinha I, however, preferred to rule the hill country from the [[Kingdom of Sitawaka]] on the west of the island. A period of turmoil for power ended with the ascent to the throne by Konappu Bandara who came to be known as [[Vimaladharmasuriya I of Kandy|Vimaladharmasuriya I]]. Having embraced Buddhism, he consolidated his authority further by bringing the [[Relic of the tooth of the Buddha|tooth relic of the Buddha]] to Kandy from a place called Delgamuwa.<ref name="srilankanmap.com" />

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 Portuguese. Several invasions by the Portuguese were repelled, most notably in the [[campaign of Danture]]. After the [[Sinhalese–Portuguese War]] and the establishment of [[Dutch Ceylon]], attempts by the Dutch to conquer the kingdom were repelled.

The kingdom tolerated a Dutch presence on the coast of Sri Lanka, although attacks were occasionally launched. The most ambitious offensive was undertaken in 1761, when King [[Kirti Sri Rajasinha of Sri Lanka|Kirti Sri Rajasinha]] attacked and overran most of the coast, leaving only the heavily fortified [[Negombo]] intact. When a Dutch retaliatory force returned to the island in 1763, Kirti Sri Rajasinha abandoned the coastline and withdrew into the interior. When the Dutch continued to the jungles the next year, they were constantly harassed by disease, heat, lack of provisions, and Kandyan sharpshooters, who hid in the jungle and inflicted heavy losses on the Dutch.

The Dutch launched a better-adapted force [[Kandyan–Dutch war (1764–1766)|in January 1765]], replacing their troops' bayonets with machetes and using more practical uniforms and tactics suited to [[jungle warfare]]. The Dutch were initially successful in capturing the capital, which was deserted, and the Kandyans withdrew to the jungles once more, refusing to engage in open battle. However, the Dutch were again worn down by constant [[attrition warfare]]. [[Treaty of Batticaloa|A peace treaty]] was signed in 1766. The Dutch remained in control of the coastal areas until 1796, when Great Britain took them over (while the Netherlands was under French control) due to the [[Kew letters]] during the [[Napoleonic wars]]. British possession of these areas was formalised with the [[treaty of Amiens]] in 1802. The next year the British also invaded Kandy in what became known as the First Kandyan War but were repulsed.

As the capital, Kandy had become home to the [[relic of the tooth of the Buddha]] which symbolises a 4th-century tradition that used to be linked to the [[Sinhala Kingdom|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.

The last ruling dynasty of Kandy was the [[Nayaks of Kandy|Nayaks]]. Kandy stayed independent until the early 19th century.

[[File:Kandyan Convention.jpg|thumb|The [[Kandyan Convention]] signed between the British and the Kandyan chiefs in 1815]]
In the [[Second Kandyan War]], the British launched an invasion that met no resistance and reached the city on 10 February 1815. The first time Sri Lanka fully fell into the hands of a foreign power was in Kandy with the signing of the [[Kandyan Convention]] in 1815 at the [[Sri Dalada Maligawa]]. The king, [[Vikrama Rajasinha]] of Kandy who was of [[South Indian]] ancestry faced powerful opposition from the [[Sinhalese people|Sinhalese]] chieftains and sought to reduce his power. A successful coup was organised by the Sinhalese chieftains in which they accepted the British crown as their new king. This ended over 2500 years of [[List of Sri Lankan monarchs|Sinhalese monarchs]] and the line of [[List of Kandyan monarchs|Kandyan monarchs]] and Rajasinha was taken as prisoner. By 2 March 1815 the island's sovereignty was under that of the [[British Empire]]. A treaty known as the [[Kandyan Convention]] was signed between the British and the [[Radala]]s (Kandyan aristocrats). The treaty was not signed by the deposed King but by members of his court and other dignitaries of the Kandyan Kingdom. With this treaty, Kandy recognised George III as its King and became a British protectorate. The last king of the kingdom [[Sri Vikrama Rajasinha]] was captured and taken as a royal prisoner by the British to [[Vellore Fort]] in southern India along with all claimants to the throne. Some of the family members were also exiled to [[Tanjore]] (now known as Thanjavur, in Tamil Nadu). Their erstwhile living place is still referred to as "Kandy Raja Aranmanai" on the eastern part of Thanjavur town on Old Mariamman Koil Road.

=== Colonial era ===
During the [[British Ceylon|British period]] in Sri Lanka, the history of Kandy and its townscape witnessed a rapid and drastic change and particularly after the [[Uva Rebellion]]. Sir Lowry is noted for recording in his Gazetteer "The story of English rule in the Kandyan country during the rebellion of 1818 cannot be related without shame...Hardly a member of the leading families remained alive...Those whom the sword and the gun had spared, [[cholera]] and [[small pox]] and privations had slain by the hundreds...Others became ignorant and apathetic. Any subsequent development efforts of the government for many years were only attempts begun and abandoned".<ref name="srilankanmap.com" />

In 1848 led by [[Gongalegoda Banda]] and [[Puran Appu]] saw the rebellion known as the [[Matale Rebellion]]. Prior to that the city and the country had been under British rule for 32 years, during which the British had expropriated the common land of the [[Kandyan peasantry]] and reduced them to extreme poverty. The Kandyan villagers were forced to abandon their traditional way of life and become wage-workers in the abominable conditions that prevailed on these new estates and plantations that had been introduced. Despite all the pressure exerted by the colonials, the Kandyans refused. This forced the British to bring in hundreds of thousands of [[Tamil people|Tamil]] [[coolie]]s from southern India.

The rebellion began on 26 July 1848 with Gongalegoda Banda, crowned as king, and Puran Appu, as prime minister, and their main objective was to capture Kandy back from the British. The Matale Rebellion was a peasant revolt in the hands of the [[Common people]], the Kandyan leadership being totally wiped out after the [[Uva Rebellion]], marked the first step in a transition from the classic [[feudal]] form of anti-colonial revolt to modern independence struggles. The leadership was for the first time passed from the Kandyan provinces into the hands of ordinary people or non-aristocrats.

[[File:Map of Kandy and environs (Baedeker, 1914).jpg|thumb|left|Kandy and environs, incl the [[Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya|Royal Botanic Gardens]] at Peradeniya, ca 1914]]

In 1944, during [[World War II]], the [[South East Asia Command]] of the allies was moved to Kandy, where it remained until the end of the war.

=== Contemporary Kandy ===
It is the second-largest city of the island and the capital of the Central Province of modern Sri Lanka. Its geographic location has made it a major transportation hub in the island: while Kandy being the gateway to the Central Highlands<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mysrilankaholidays.com/central-highlands.html |title=Central highlands (Hill country) of Sri Lanka |access-date=24 October 2010 |archive-date=15 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220915065557/http://www.mysrilankaholidays.com/central-highlands.html |url-status=live }}</ref> of Sri Lanka, the city can be reached by major motorways in every direction of the island. The railway line from Colombo, the seaport on the western coast runs via Kandy to the farthest point of Badulla<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mysrilankaholidays.com/badulla.html |title=Badulla, Central Highlands of Sri Lanka |access-date=24 October 2010 |archive-date=26 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101126143826/http://mysrilankaholidays.com/badulla.html |url-status=live }}</ref> in the Central Highlands. The main roads Colombo-Kandy and Kandy-Nuwara Eliya<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mysrilankaholidays.com/kandy-nuwara-eliya.html |title=Kandy – Nuwara Eliya Road |access-date=24 October 2010 |archive-date=15 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220915065554/http://www.mysrilankaholidays.com/kandy-nuwara-eliya.html |url-status=live }}</ref> are two of the most scenic roads of Sri Lanka; Colombo-Kandy<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mysrilankaholidays.com/colombo-kandy.html |title=Colombo – Kandy Road |access-date=24 October 2010 |archive-date=15 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220915070041/http://www.mysrilankaholidays.com/colombo-kandy.html |url-status=live }}</ref> road passes through the rubber, tea plantations and rice paddies, Kandy-Nuwara Eliya road cuts through paddy fields and seamless tea plantations. Both roads claw their way up winding, rounding over the rings of hills. Currently, feasibility studies are afoot for another highway between Colombo and Kandy via Kadawata and the scenic city of Katugastota.

== Geography and climate ==
{{Main|Geography of Sri Lanka}}
[[File:Kandy Lake - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Panoramic view of the Kandy lake]]

=== Topography ===
Kandy is located in the mountainous and thickly forested interior of the island. The city is located in between multiple mountain ranges including the [[Knuckles Mountain Range]] and the [[Hanthana Mountain Range]], giving the city an elevation of {{convert|500|m|ft}} above sea level. It lies adjacent to the artificial [[Kandy Lake]] and south of [[Udawatta Kele Sanctuary]]. Today{{when|date=May 2025}} Udawatte Kele is reducing its area.

=== Climate ===
In [[Köppen-Geiger climate classification system]], its climate is [[tropical rainforest climate|tropical rainforest]] (Af).<ref name="Climate-Data.org">{{cite web |title=Climate: Kandy CP (altitude: 518&nbsp;m) – Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table |url=http://en.climate-data.org/location/5671/ |publisher=Climate-Data.org |access-date=12 December 2013 |archive-date=27 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827110410/https://en.climate-data.org/location/5671/ |url-status=live }}</ref> With Kandy located in the centre of the island and in a high elevation, the city has a relatively wetter and cooler temperatures than that of the tropical climate of the [[climate of Sri Lanka|rest of the country]], especially the coastal regions. [[Nuwara Eliya#Climate|Nuwara Eliya]] is south to it and has a cooler climate due to its higher elevation. Nevertheless, Kandy's climate is still tropical as mean temperatures year round are above 18&nbsp;°C on average. The city does experience a drier period from January to April.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kandy Weather |url=http://www.hotels-in-kandy.com/kandy-hotels/kandy-weather.php |publisher=eZeeStay |access-date=22 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326001745/http://www.hotels-in-kandy.com/kandy-hotels/kandy-weather.php |archive-date=26 March 2012 }}</ref> From May through to July and October to December the region experiences its monsoon season, during this time the weather is rough and unstable. From March through the middle of May is the intermonsoonal period, during this time there is light rain and strong humidity.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kandy Weather and When to Go |url=http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g304138-s208/Kandy:Sri-Lanka:Weather.And.When.To.Go.html |publisher=TripAdvisor |access-date=22 June 2011 |archive-date=27 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827142504/https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g304138-s208/Kandy:Sri-Lanka:Weather.And.When.To.Go.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The humidity is generally between 70% and 79%.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kandy |url=http://www.tsitours.com/srilanka/kandy.html |publisher=tsitours |access-date=22 June 2011 |archive-date=17 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517170955/http://www.tsitours.com/srilanka/kandy.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
{{Weather box
| metric first = yes
| single line = yes
| location = Kandy
| Jan high C = 27
| Feb high C = 28
| Mar high C = 30
| Apr high C = 30
| May high C = 29
| Jun high C = 28
| Jul high C = 27
| Aug high C = 28
| Sep high C = 28
| Oct high C = 28
| Nov high C = 27
| Dec high C = 27
| Jan mean C = 23.1
| Feb mean C = 24.1
| Mar mean C = 25.4
| Apr mean C = 25.9
| May mean C = 25.6
| Jun mean C = 24.8
| Jul mean C = 24.3
| Aug mean C = 24.4
| Sep mean C = 24.3
| Oct mean C = 24.3
| Nov mean C = 24
| Dec mean C = 23.7
| Jan low C = 18
| Feb low C = 18
| Mar low C = 18
| Apr low C = 20
| May low C = 20
| Jun low C = 20
| Jul low C = 20
| Aug low C = 19
| Sep low C = 19
| Oct low C = 19
| Nov low C = 19
| Dec low C = 18
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 79
| Feb precipitation mm = 74
| Mar precipitation mm = 71
| Apr precipitation mm = 188
| May precipitation mm = 144
| Jun precipitation mm = 132
| Jul precipitation mm = 128
| Aug precipitation mm = 113
| Sep precipitation mm = 155
| Oct precipitation mm = 264
| Nov precipitation mm = 296
| Dec precipitation mm = 196
| unit rain days = 
| Jan rain days = 6
| Feb rain days = 5
| Mar rain days = 8
| Apr rain days = 14
| May rain days = 11
| Jun rain days = 15
| Jul rain days = 14
| Aug rain days = 13
| Sep rain days = 13
| Oct rain days = 17
| Nov rain days = 16
| Dec rain days = 14
| Jand sun = 7
| Febd sun = 8
| Mard sun = 8
| Aprd sun = 7
| Mayd sun = 6
| Jund sun = 6
| Juld sun = 6
| Augd sun = 6
| Sepd sun = 6
| Octd sun = 6
| Novd sun = 6
| Decd sun = 6
| source 1 = ''Weather2Travel'' for highs, lows and sunshine,<ref>{{cite web |title=Best Weather in Kandy, Sri Lanka |url=http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/sri-lanka/kandy.php |publisher=Weather2Travel |access-date=12 November 2013 |archive-date=12 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112174344/http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/sri-lanka/kandy.php |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Climate-Data.org'' for daily mean temperatures (altitude: 518&nbsp;m)<ref name="Climate-Data.org" />
| source 2 = ''World Climate Guide'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldclimateguide.co.uk/climateguides/srilanka/kandy.php |title=Kandy Climate Guide, Sri Lanka – World Climate Guide |last=www.worldclimateguide.co.uk |access-date=24 January 2013 |archive-date=26 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826012438/http://www.worldclimateguide.co.uk/climateguides/srilanka/kandy.php |url-status=live }}</ref> ''HolidayCheck.com'',<ref>[http://www.holidaycheck.com/climate-wetter_Kandy-ebene_oid-id_5766.html Temperature Kandy – climate Kandy Sri Lanka (Inside) – weather Kandy] {{webarchive |url=https://archive.today/20130125174835/http://www.holidaycheck.com/climate-wetter_Kandy-ebene_oid-id_5766.html |date=25 January 2013 }}</ref> ''World Climate''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/grid.pl?gr=N07E080 |title=World Climate: N07E080 – Weather history for travel real estate and education |access-date=22 June 2011 |archive-date=19 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819041431/http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/grid.pl?gr=N07E080 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| date = July 2011
}}

== Cityscape ==
{{Wide image| SL Kandy asv2020-01 img11 Arthurs Seat view.jpg|800px|View from the Arthur's seat}}
The city of Kandy lies at an elevation of {{convert|465|m|ft}} above sea level. Its plan developed around two open spaces: an elongated square, at the end of which are the administration buildings of the old capital, and an artificial lake that is quadrangular in form. A public garden adds to the openness of the city's spatial organisation.

Kandy has now grown out to encompass [[Peradeniya]], home to the University of Peradeniya and the Botanical Gardens, [[Katugastota]] to the north, and east to [[Kundasale]], [[Tennekumbura]] and [[Gurudeniya]].

=== Neighbourhoods ===
{{Multiple image
| direction = vertical
| width = 250
| image1 = SL Kandy asv2020-01 img04 Queens Hotel.jpg
| alt1 = 
| image2 = Kandy Sri Lanka (25818382171).jpg
| alt2 = 
| footer = Downtown Kandy
}}

{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Akurana]]
* [[Ampitiya, Central Province|Ampitiya]]
* Ampitiya North
* Ampitiya South
* Anniwatta
* Aruppola East
* [[Asgiriya]]
* [[Bahirawakanda]]
* [[Bogambara]]
* Bogodawatta
* Bowala
* [[Buwelikada (disambiguation)|Buwelikada]]
* [[Dangolla]]
* [[Deiyannewela]]
* [[Etamoragodawatta Colony]]
* [[Gannoruwa|Gannoruwa West]]
* [[Gelioya]]
* [[Gampola]]
* [[Heenagama]]
* [[Katugastota]]
* [[Katukele]]
* [[Kosgaspitiya]]
* [[Kotugodella]]
* [[Lewella]]
* [[Madawala]]
* [[Mahaiyawa]]
* [[Malwatta]]
* [[Mapanawatura]]
* [[Mavilmada]]
* [[Menikkumbura]]
* [[Mulgampola]]
* [[Navayalatenna]]
* [[Nittawela]]
* [[Nuwara Dodanwala]]
* [[Peradeniya]]
* [[Polgolla]]
* [[Siyabalapitiya]]
* [[Siyambalagastenna]]
* [[Suduhumpola|Suduhumpola East]]
* [[Suduhumpola|Suduhumpola West]]
* [[Talwatta]]
* [[Tennekumbura]]
* [[Udamadapola]]
* [[Udathalawinna]]
* [[Watapuluwa]]
* [[Wattarantenna]]
* [[Wewelpitiya]]
* [[Yatiwawala]]
* [[Wattegama]]{{colend}}

=== Wards ===
Kandy has 24 [[Wards of Sri Lanka|wards]]:<ref>{{cite web |title=City Profile |url=http://www.kandymc.org/citypro.asp |website=Kandy Municipal Council |access-date=7 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213203734/http://www.kandymc.org/citypro.asp |archive-date=13 December 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=City History |url=http://www.kandymc.org/kandhis.asp |website=Kandy Municipal Council |access-date=7 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213203258/http://www.kandymc.org/kandhis.asp |archive-date=13 December 2014 }}</ref>

== Government ==
{{Main|Kandy Municipal Council}}
{{Infobox legislature
| name               = Kandy Municipal Council
| native_name        = මහනුවර මහ නගර සභා
| native_name_lang   = 
| transcription_name = 
| legislature        = 
| coa_pic            = [[File:Kandy Coat of Arms.JPG|200px]]
| coa_res            = The Arms of the Kandy Municipal Council
| coa_alt            = 
| house_type         = Local authority
| houses             = [[Unicameral]]
| term_limits        = Four years
| foundation         = 1865
| leader1_type       = [[Mayor of Kandy]]
| leader1            = Chandrasiri Wijenayake
| party1             = [[National People's Power|NPP]]
| election1          = 3 June 2025
| leader2_type       = Deputy Mayor
| leader2            = 
| party2             = 
| election2          = 
| leader3_type       = [[Municipal Commissioner (Sri Lanka)|Municipal Commissioner]]
| leader3            = Chandana Tennakoon
| party3             = 
| election3          = 
| members            = '''46'''
| structure1         = 
| structure1_res     = 
| structure1_alt     = 
| structure2         = 
| structure2_res     = 
| structure2_alt     = 
| political_groups1  = 
| political_groups2  = 
| committees1        = 
| committees2        = 
| joint_committees   = 
| term_length        = 
| authority          = 
| salary             = 
| seats1_title       = 
| seats1             = 
| seats2_title       = 
| seats2             = 
| seats3_title       = 
| seats3             = 
| seats4_title       = 
| seats4             = 
| seats5_title       = 
| seats5             = 
| seats6_title       = 
| seats6             = 
| seats7_title       = 
| seats7             = 
| seats8_title       = 
| seats8             = 
| voting_system1     = [[open list]] [[proportional representation system]]
| last_election1     = [[2025 Sri Lankan local elections]]
| previous_election1 = [[2018 Sri Lankan local government elections]]
| session_room       = 
| session_res        = 
| session_alt        = 
| meeting_place      = 
| logo_caption       = Seal
| logo               = 
| website            = {{URL|http://kandy.mc.gov.lk/}}
}}

Kandy is a [[charter city]], with a [[Mayor-council government|Mayor Council]] form of government. The [[Mayor of Kandy]] and the councillors are elected through local government elections held once in five years. The Head of administration is the ''Municipal Commissioner'', who handles the day-to-day operations of the 16 departments that it is made up of.

The [[Kandy Municipal Council]] governs the City of Kandy, it was established under the Municipalities Ordinance of 1865. The inaugural meeting had been held on 20 March 1866. The [[Kandy Town Hall]] was established in the present premises known as the ''Dunuwille Walawwe'' in 1870.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kandycity.org/kmc/index.html |title=The History of the Municipal Council |date=19 June 2009 |access-date=24 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100925013801/http://www.kandycity.org/kmc/index.html |archive-date=25 September 2010 }}</ref>

The [[Government Agent (Sri Lanka)|Government Agent]] of the [[Central Province, Sri Lanka|Central Province]] had presided over the council until 1939 when the Mayor was elected. The first elected mayor was Sir [[Cuda Ratwatte]]. With further amendments to the ordinance in 1978, the Mayor became the Executive Head whilst the Commissioner was the Administrative head.

As of the 2018 election, the council consists of 41 members. The [[United National Party|UNP]] has 19, the [[Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna|SLPP]] 16, the [[United People's Freedom Alliance|UPFA]] 3, the [[Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna|JVP]] 2, and the [[Democratic People's Front|UPA]] one. The Council meets once a month to review the progress and decide on the implementation of its projects. Five standing committees of the council, namely Finance, Law, Works, Sports and Welfare Services (Pre-Schools, Library), also meet monthly to evaluate and recommend to Council relative matters for approval.

== Demographics ==
{{Main||Demographics of Sri Lanka}}

Kandy is a [[Sinhalese people|Sinhalese]] majority city; there are sizeable communities belonging to other ethnic groups, such as [[Sri Lankan Moors|Moors]] and [[Tamils]]. The city remains an important religious centre of the Sinhalese and a place of [[pilgrimage]] for [[Buddhism|Buddhists]], namely those belonging to the [[Theravada]] school. The [[Catholic Church]] has a [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Kandy|diocese]] headquartered in the city.

=== Census of population (2012) ===
{{bar box
| title    = Ethnicity in Kandy (2012)
| titlebar = #ddd
| left1    = Population
| right1   = Percent
| float    = right
| bars     = 
{{bar percent|[[Sinhalese people|Sinhalese]]|#FFFF00|74.55}}
{{bar percent|[[Sri Lankan Moors]]|#009000|10.90}}
{{bar percent|[[Sri Lankan Tamils]]|#FF8000|9.59}}
{{bar percent|[[Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka|Indian Tamils]]|red|3.53}}
{{bar percent|Others|#0080FF|1.43}}
}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+
|-
!Ethnicity!!Population!!% Of Total
|-
|[[Sinhalese people|Sinhalese]]||118,209||74.55
|-
|[[Sri Lankan Moors]]||17,282||10.90
|-
|[[Sri Lankan Tamils]]||15,203||9.59
|-
|[[Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka|Indian Tamils]]||5,601||3.53
|-
|Other (including [[Burgher people|Burgher]], [[Sri Lankan Malays|Malay]])||2,266||1.43
|-
|Total|| 158,561||100
|}
''Source:''[http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2012Visualization/htdocs/index.php?usecase=indicator&action=DSMap&indId=10&district=Kandy&Legend=3# ''statistics.gov.lk'']

{{Pie chart |caption=Religion in Kandy Four Gravets and Gangawata Korale DS Division (2012)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.map.statistics.gov.lk/apps/wb/index.html |title=Sri Lanka Census Map |date=2012 |access-date=2023-01-28 |website=statistics.gov.lk |publisher=Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka |archive-date=29 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230129021805/http://www.map.statistics.gov.lk/apps/wb/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 |thumb = none
 |label1 = [[Buddhism in Sri Lanka|Buddhist]]
 |value1 = 70.95
 |color1 = #ffff00
 |label2 = [[Hinduism in Sri Lanka|Hindu]]
 |value2 = 10.17
 |color2 = #ff8800
 |label3 = [[Islam in Sri Lanka|Muslim]]
 |value3 = 11.97
 |color3 = #008800
 |label4 = [[Christianity in Sri Lanka|Roman Catholic]]
 |value4 = 4.77
 |color4 = #8888ff
 |label5 = [[Christianity in Sri Lanka|Other Christian]]
 |value5 = 2.10
 |color5 = #444488
 |label6 = Other
 |value6 = 0.04
 |color6 = #ffffff
}}

== Economy ==
It is the second-largest city in the island and the capital of [[Central Province, Sri Lanka|Central Province]]. Many major corporations have large branch offices in Kandy and many industries including textiles, Sri Lankan gemstones, furniture, information technology, and jewellery are found there. Many agriculture research centres are located throughout the city.

== Health care ==
The [[Teaching Hospital, Kandy|National Hospital, Kandy]] is the second-largest medical institution in Sri Lanka, established and administered under the purview of the Ministry of Health, which remains a key hospital maintained by the Sri Lankan Government.<ref name="Kandy Hospital">{{cite web |url=http://www.kandy-hospital.health.gov.lk/ |publisher=kandy-hospital.health.gov.lk |title=Home |access-date=1 June 2017 |archive-date=29 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129033616/http://www.kandy-hospital.health.gov.lk/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[Teaching Hospital, Peradeniya]] is one of the prime tertiary care hospitals in the country, located along the [[A1 highway (Sri Lanka)|A1 highway]] connecting Kandy and [[Colombo]], near the [[Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya]].

The Dental Hospital Peradeniya and Sirimavo Bandaranaike Children's Hospitals are located adjacent to the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital.<ref name="Peradeniya Hospital">{{cite web |url=http://www.peradeniya-hospital.health.gov.lk/ |publisher=peradeniya-hospital.health.gov.lk |title=Teaching Hospital Peradeniya |access-date=1 June 2017 |archive-date=10 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170610165040/http://www.peradeniya-hospital.health.gov.lk/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Infrastructure ==

=== Transportation ===
{{Main|Transport in Sri Lanka}}

Kandy has a public transport system based primarily on buses. The bus service is operated both by private companies and the government's own [[Sri Lanka Transport Board]] (SLTB). The Kandy Multimodal Transport Terminal (KMTT) after constructed will integrate a major bus terminal to the Kandy railway station. KMTT will handle about 2,000 bus departures, up to 3,000 further through-services, and about 320,000 passenger movements on a daily basis. EoIs from consultants for the Design, Construction Supervision and Contract Administration of the project were called in 2016.<ref>{{cite web |title=Consultancy for KMTT design and construction supervision |url=http://www.scdp.lk/scdp/pdf/pdf_procument/4.EOI-%20Consultancy%20for%20KMTT%20design%20and%20construction%20supervision%2024.03.%202015.pdf |access-date=30 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202053137/http://www.scdp.lk/scdp/pdf/pdf_procument/4.EOI-%20Consultancy%20for%20KMTT%20design%20and%20construction%20supervision%2024.03.%202015.pdf |archive-date=2 February 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==== Air ====
{{Main|Kandy Airport}}

The proposed [[Kandy Airport]] in the nearby area of [[Kundasale Divisional Secretariat|Kundasale]] will create a direct air link to [[Bandaranaike International Airport]] in [[Colombo]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2011/10/09/kandy-airport-most-likely-in-kundasale-chief-minister/ |title=Kandy Airport Most Likely in Kundasale – Chief Minister |date=5 August 2012 |access-date=5 August 2012 |publisher=The Sunday Leader |author=Maryam Azwer |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111211200620/http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2011/10/09/kandy-airport-most-likely-in-kundasale-chief-minister |archive-date=11 December 2011 }}</ref> The new airport will act as a catalyst to the tourism industry in [[Sri Lanka]].

==== Roads ====

;A-Grade highways:
* [[A1 road (Sri Lanka)|A1 highway]] (Kandy road) connects Colombo with Kandy.
* [[A9 road (Sri Lanka)|A9 highway]] connects Jaffna with Kandy.
* [[A26 road (Sri Lanka)|A26 highway]] connects Padiyathalawa with Kandy via Mahiyangana.
* [[A10 road (Sri Lanka)|A10 highway]] connects [[Puttalam]] with Kandy via [[Kurunegala]] and Katugastota.
* [[A5 road (Sri Lanka)|A5 highway]] connects [[Chenkalady]] with Kandy via [[Padiyathalawa]] [[Badulla]] [[Nuwara Eliya]] and Peradeniya.

;High-speed expressways:
* Colombo – Kandy high-speed elevated expressway running is currently under construction, providing a high-speed link between the two largest economic centres.

==== Rail ====
* ''Matale Line'' of the [[Sri Lanka Railways]] connects Kandy by way of Peradeniya and [[Matale]]. It connects to the ''Main Line'' that links Colombo and [[Badulla]]

=== Architecture ===
{{Main|Architecture of Kandy|Architecture of Sri Lanka}}
[[File:Kandy WHC.JPG|right|thumb|Kandy World Heritage Site marker]]

==== Temple of the Tooth ====
{{Main|Temple of the Tooth}}
[[File:SL Kandy asv2020-01 img34 Sacred Tooth Temple.jpg|left|thumb|Temple of the Tooth Relic, Kandy.]]
On the north shore of the lake, which is enclosed by a parapet of white stone dating to the beginning of the 19th century, are the city's official religious monuments, including the [[Royal Palace of Kandy|Royal Palace]] and the [[Temple of the Tooth]], known as the Sri Dalada Maligawa (daḷadā māligāva). Reconstructed in the 18th century, the Sri Dalada Maligawa is built on a base of [[granite]] that was inspired by the temples of Sri Lanka's former capital city, [[Anuradhapura]]. An array of materials ([[limestone]], [[marble]], sculpted wood, [[ivory]], etc.) contribute to the richness of this temple. Throughout this small ''holy city'', a number of recent Buddhist [[monastery|monasteries]] can be found.

The monumental ensemble of Kandy is an example of construction that associates the Royal Palace and the Temple of the Tooth (''Palace of the tooth relic'') is the place that houses the [[relic of the tooth of the Buddha]]. Originally part of the Royal Palace complex of the Kandyan Kingdom, it is one of the holiest places of worship and pilgrimage for Buddhists around the world. It was the last of a series of temples built in the places where the relic, the actual palladium of the Sinhalese monarchy, was brought following the various relocations of the capital city.

The Palace of the Tooth relic, the palace complex and the holy city of Kandy are associated with the history of the dissemination of Buddhism. The temple is the product of the last peregrination of the relic of the tooth of Buddha and the testimony of a religion which continues to be practiced today.

The [[International Buddhist Museum]] nearby houses objects contributed by India, Gandhara, Bhutan, Nepal, Korea, Thailand, etc.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nation.lk/2011/09/18/eyefea7.htm |title=The splendour of International Buddhist Museum, Kandy, The Nation, Mallika Etulgama, 2011/09/18 |access-date=17 January 2021 |archive-date=22 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122053533/https://www.nation.lk/2011/09/18/eyefea7.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> A 16-foot statue of Gautama Buddha, a replica of the [[Dharmachakra Pravartana Buddha at Sarnath|Sarnath Buddha]] is installed in front of the museum, gifted by the Government of India.

==== Royal Palace ====
{{Main|Royal Palace of Kandy}}
[[File:SL Kandy asv2020-01 img43 Royal Palace.jpg|thumb|The Royal Palace of Kandy]]
The [[Royal Palace of Kandy]] is the last Royal Palace built in the island. Although only part of the original palace complex remains. The Temple of the Tooth was part of this complex, due to the ancient tradition that stated that the monarch is the protector of the relic though which the ruler of the land. It today houses the [[National Museum Kandy]] which holds an extensive collection of artefacts from both the Kandy Kingdom and the British colonial rule.

==== Lankatilaka Temple ====
{{Main|Lankatilaka Vihara}}
The [[Lankatilaka Vihara|Lankatilaka Temple]] is considered to be one of the best-preserved examples of traditional Sinhalese temple architecture.{{citation needed|date=March 2019}} Built on a rock, the temple is reached by a long series of rock-cut steps. An arched passage of the image house leads through a Mandapa (hall) into the inner sanctum which is decorated with floral designs. The two side walls and the ceiling are decorated with paintings. In the inner sanctum is a large seated image of the Buddha.

==== Gadaladeniya Temple ====
{{Main|Gadaladeniya Vihara}}
The [[Gadaladeniya Vihara|Gadaladeniya Temple]]'s design is of South Indian origin with a Devale attached to it, similar in character to the Natha Devale and the Gedige of Adahana Maluwa. The main shrine room has a seated Buddha statue and the remains of some paintings of the Gampola period.

Among other important temples around Kandy<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mysrilankaholidays.com/around-kandy.html |title=Temple Excursions Around Kandy, Sri Lanka |access-date=24 October 2010 |archive-date=26 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101126183941/http://mysrilankaholidays.com/around-kandy.html |url-status=live }}</ref> are [[Dodanwala Devalaya]] (shrine), [[Embekka Devalaya]] (shrine), [[Galmaduwa Vihara]] temple, Handagala Vihara temple, [[Medawala Vihara]] and [[Nalanda Gedige]].

=== Parks and gardens ===
[[File:Botanical Garden of Peradeniya 03.jpg|right|thumb|Peradeniya Botanic garden]]

The [[Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya]] is situated about 5&nbsp;km to the west of the city centre at [[Peradeniya]] and is visited by 2 million people per year.<ref name="ReferenceA">Royal Botanic Gardens Peradeniya Official Guide Map 2013</ref> It is the largest botanical garden on the island extending to {{cvt|147|acres|0}} and containing over 4000 species of plants.<ref name="ReferenceA" />
[[Knuckles Mountain Range]] in Kandy is a world heritage site of UNESCO. [[Alagalla Mountain Range]] also named in English as Potato Range both famous for trekking in Sri Lanka.
The [[Udawatta Kele Sanctuary|Udawatta Kele]] (''Udawatta Forest'') is a protected sanctuary situated in the heart of the city, just north of the Temple of the Tooth. Known as "Uda Wasala Watta" in [[Sinhala language|Sinhala]] meaning, "the garden situated above the royal palace", it was designated as a forest reserve in 1856, and it became a sanctuary in 1938.

The [[Wace Park|Royal Palace Park]], known as ''Wales Park'' is a small park that overlooks [[Kandy Lake]] and most of the city. In the park is a Japanese [[field gun]] which was captured by the British [[Fourteenth Army (United Kingdom)|14th Army]] in Burma during World War II and presented to the city of Kandy by [[Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma|Lord Mountbatten]], Supreme Allied Commander [[South-East Asian theatre of World War II|South East Asia Theatre]].

== Education ==
{{Main|Education in Sri Lanka}}
[[File:Campus lion UoP.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A traditional lion statue in front of the senate building of the university]]

=== Primary and secondary education ===
{{Main|List of schools in Central Province, Sri Lanka}}

Kandy is home to some of the island's oldest and leading schools.
<!-- This list is in alphabetic order,
PLEASE DO NOT ADD, REMOVE OR CHANGE THIS LIST-->

{{Colbegin}}
* [[Dharmaraja College]]
* [[Girls' High School, Kandy]]
* [[Good Shepherd Convent, Kandy]]
* Gothami Girls College
* Hemamali Girls College
* [[Hillwood College]]
* [[Kingswood College (Sri Lanka)|Kingswood College]]
* [[Mahamaya Girls' College, Kandy]]
* [[Pushpadana Girls' College, Kandy]]
* [[Ranabima Royal College]]
* [[St. Anthony's College, Kandy]]
* St. Anthony's Girls College
* St. Benedict's College, Kandy
* [[St. Sylvester's College]]
* Sarasavi Uyana College
* [[Seethadevi Girls College|Seethadevi Girls' College]]
* Sri Chandananda Buddhist College
* Sri Rahula College
* Swarnamali Girls College
* [[Trinity College Kandy]]
* [[Vidyartha College]]
* Viharamahadevi Girls College
* [[Wariyapola Sri Sumangala College]]
{{Colend}}

=== Tertiary education ===
The country's second-oldest university, [[University of Peradeniya]] is situated in [[Peradeniya]], while the [[Open University of Sri Lanka]], the [[Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology]], the National Institute of Business Management and the College of Technology have centres in the city. Most of the private-sector higher educational institutions also have their branches in Kandy.<ref>{{cite web |title=University of Peradeniya |url=https://www.pdn.ac.lk/ }}</ref>

The Geology Department at the University of Peradeniya is the only earth science department in Sri Lanka.

== Culture ==
{{Main|Culture of Sri Lanka}}

=== Leisure and entertainment ===
[[File:Sri lanka kandy esala perahera.jpg|left|thumb|Esala Perahera is the prominent cultural event of the city]]
Kandyans do many things for leisure and entertainment in the city. Kandy is popular due to the annual [[procession]] known as the [[Esala Perahera]],{{citation needed|date=March 2019}} 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 a royal [[Elephant|tusker]]. The procession includes traditional dancers and drummers, flag bearers of the provinces of the old Kandyan kingdom, the Nilames ([[Laity|lay]] custodians of temples ) wearing their traditional dresses, torch-bearers, and also the grandly attired elephant. This ceremony which is annually held in the months of July or August attracts large crowds from all parts of the country and also many foreign tourists.

[[Kandy City Centre]] is commercial and shopping complex open in 2005<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pfik.org/ |title=Home |website=pfik.org |access-date=8 August 2022 |archive-date=8 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808130101/http://www.pfik.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> at Dalada Veediya.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sridaladamaligawa.lk/ |title=Sri Dalada Maligawa |access-date=24 October 2010 |archive-date=22 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201122100721/http://www.sridaladamaligawa.lk/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and is the most modern commercial complex in Kandy. The complex is studded with ultra-modern features, also incorporating the traditional architecture of Kandy during the medieval period of Sri Lanka. The city centre is host to several leading banks, a fully equipped supermarket, modern restaurants, an entertainment zone including a 3-cinema complex, a well-designed state-of-the-art food court, Sri Lanka's leading bookshop, flora, and an Ayurveda site. There is a five-level car park outside managed separately by the Kandy Municipal Council and is the largest car park in Kandy.

=== Literature, film and television ===
Much of the 1984 film ''[[Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom]]'' was shot in Kandy.

=== Sport ===
{{Main|Sport in Central Province, Sri Lanka|Sport in Sri Lanka}}
[[File:Pallekele International Cricket Stadium Main pavilion.jpg|thumb|[[Pallekele International Cricket Stadium]]]]
Kandy has produced national-level competitors in a wide range of sports, including [[cricket]], [[rugby union]], association football, swimming, [[field hockey]], athletics, table tennis, boxing, basketball, golf, and even baseball, which has only been introduced into Kandy recently. Kandy has produced national captains of cricket and rugby and athletes that play at the highest level of all sports.

Unlike the rest of the country [[rugby union|rugby]] is the most popular sport in the region. This is because of the local rugby union club, [[Kandy Sports Club (Rugby)|Kandy Sports Club]] being the reigning Club Rugby Champions in the national league for almost a decade, as well as the fondness and support the local schools treat the sport with. The [[Sri Lanka Sevens]] tournament is an annual international rugby union event held at the local [[Bogambara Stadium]], attracting nations from all over the world.

Cricket is widely played in Kandy with the city having three first-class teams in the [[Premier Trophy]], [[Saracens Sports Club|Saracens]], [[Kandy Cricket Club]] and [[Kandy Youth Cricket Club]], as well as being the main city for the [[Lanka Premier League]] side [[Kandy Falcons]]. Kandy is host to the [[Sri Lanka national cricket team]] with two [[Test cricket|Test status]] grounds, [[Asgiriya Stadium|Asgiriya International Stadium]] and the newly built state-of-the-art [[Pallekele International Cricket Stadium]]. Both stadiums have held [[Cricket World Cup|World Cup]] matches. Other cricket venues are Katugastota Oval (St.Anthony's College ground), Lake View ground at [[Dharmaraja College]], and Police ground Kandy.

Sports like [[field hockey]], volleyball (the national sport of Sri Lanka), and association football however have not taken off in Kandy as much as other sports, due to the lack of proper playing fields, funding, and support. [[Cue games]] like billiards and snooker have hardly anyone playing. However, basketball, table tennis, badminton, and swimming are common due to the high participation of students and schools.<ref>{{cite web |last=Marikar |first=Hafiz |title=A Look at Sports in Kandy |url=http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2010/12/26/a-look-at-sports-in-kandy/ |publisher=The Sunday Leader |access-date=22 June 2011 |archive-date=4 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004125730/http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2010/12/26/a-look-at-sports-in-kandy/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Twin towns and sister cities ==
The City of Kandy has a sister city relationship with: 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Country
! City
! Province
! Year
|-
| {{flag|Thailand}}
| [[Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya (city)|Ayudhya]]
| [[File:Seal Ayutthaya.png|25px]] [[Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province|Ayutthaya]]
| 2013<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=86407 |title=Kandy becomes Ayoddhya's sister city |newspaper=[[The Island (Sri Lanka)|The Island]] |first=Cyril |last=Wimalasurendre |date=22 August 2013 |access-date=5 May 2016 |archive-date=16 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216091310/http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=86407 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| {{flag|China}}
| [[Chengdu]]
| [[Sichuan]]
| 2015<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=122762 |title=Kandy ties up with sister city in China |newspaper=[[The Island (Sri Lanka)|The Island]] |first=Cyril |last=Wimalasurendre |date=7 April 2015 |access-date=5 May 2016 |archive-date=22 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022011748/http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=122762 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|}

== See also ==
* [[Esala Perahera]]
* [[Kingdom of Kandy]]
* [[World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka]]
* '''''<small>{{portal-inline|Sri Lanka}}</small>'''''

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* Woodcock, George. "The Kings of Kandy" ''History Today'' (Dec 1963) 13#12 pp 852–862, covers 1505 to 1833.
* {{Cite book |last=Seneviratna |first=Anuradha |title=The Kandy Asala Perahara |publisher=Vijitha Yapa Publications |location=Sri Lanka |isbn=978-955-665-017-4 |url=http://www.vijithayapa.com/pdesc.php?id=24613 |year=2008 |access-date=11 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100810183519/http://www.vijithayapa.com/pdesc.php?id=24613 |archive-date=10 August 2010 |url-status=dead }}
* {{Cite book |last=Seneviratna |first=Anuradha |title=World Heritage City of Kandy, Sri Lanka: Conservation and Development Plan |publisher=Central Cultural Fund |location=Sri Lanka |isbn=978-955-613-126-0 |year=1999 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Seneviratna |first=Anuradha |title=Gateway to Kandy – Ancient monuments in the central hills of Sri Lanka |publisher=Vijitha Yapa Publications |location=Sri Lanka |isbn=978-955-665-031-0 |url=http://www.srilankanbooks.com/pdesc.php?id=24684 |year=2008 |access-date=11 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716125120/http://www.srilankanbooks.com/pdesc.php?id=24684 |archive-date=16 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}
* {{Cite book |last=Seneviratna |first=Channa |title=Kandy at War: Indigenous Military Resistance to European Expansion in Sri Lanka 1594–1818 |publisher=Manohar |isbn=978-81-7304-547-9 |year=2004 }}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Kandy}}
* [http://kandy.mc.gov.lk/ Kandy Municipal Council – Government Website]
* [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/450 Official UNESCO website entry]
* [http://www.lgpc.gov.lk/web/images/wardmaps/kandy/01_Kandy_KandyMC.pdf Ward Map of Kandy Municipal Council] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204201906/http://lgpc.gov.lk/web/images/wardmaps/kandy/01_Kandy_KandyMC.pdf |date=4 December 2020 }}

{{Kandy}}
{{Kandy landmarks}}
{{Navboxes
|titlestyle = 
|list = 
{{Provincial capitals of Sri Lanka}}
{{Largest Sri Lankan cities}}
{{Municipalities and Urban areas of Sri Lanka}}
{{World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka}}
{{Central Province, Sri Lanka topics}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Kandy| ]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 14th century]]
[[Category:Provincial capitals in Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Geography of the Kingdom of Kandy]]
[[Category:Holy cities]]