Cultural Kandy
Colombo may be the capital, but Kandy is the cultural centre of the island. And when Sri Lanka is the stage, Kandy's in the middle of it. In the spotlight. For until the arrival of the British, Kandy was still the center of an independent kingdom. And as a result, it is still the centre for traditional customs, dance, music and architecture. In addition to its cultural heritage, the surroundings are also impressive. The Kandy lake creates a rural character. The hills that surround the city function as wings. No wrong place to stay in.
The biggest show takes place annually in the months of July and August. The Esala Perahera festival turns the city into a spectacle. Ten nights in a row, processions pass through the streets. The last night, on a full moon, is like the final performance. Dancers and drummers are followed by a procession of colorfully decorated elephants. The festivities take place in honor of the sacred tooth. This tooth of Buddha lies in a golden stupas, in the Temple of Tooth. This is also one of the highlights of the city and is also part of the 'permanent performances'. Every day, hundreds of worshippers with sacrifices shuffle past the spot where Buddha's tooth had been since the sixteenth century: sacred to Buddhists, a world heritage site for travelers.
