Temple · Buddhist
Kandy Sacred City
Central Province, Sri Lanka
UNESCO World Heritage Site (inscribed 1988)
Temple · Buddhist
Central Province, Sri Lanka
Kandy, the last capital of the Sinhalese kings, is Sri Lanka's most important Buddhist pilgrimage city, centred on the Temple of the Tooth and its annual Esala Perahera procession.
As the historic seat of Sri Lankan Buddhist kingship and the home of the tooth relic, Kandy holds a symbolic significance in Sri Lankan Buddhism that extends well beyond the temple itself to the wider sacred city.
Kandy remained an independent Buddhist kingdom until 1815, later than the rest of Sri Lanka, giving it a distinct role in preserving traditional Sinhalese Buddhist culture and ceremony.
July/August for the Esala Perahera festival, or January–March for more comfortable, less crowded general travel.