LOCAL ATTRACTIONS
TEMPLE OF THE SACRED TOOTH RELIC
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic or the Sri Dalada Maligawe is one of Sri Lanka's most renowned Buddhist temples. Located in the royal palace complex, this temple houses the tooth relic of the Gautama Buddha. This relic played an important role in local politics during ancient times, when it was believed that whoever held the relic also held governance of the country.
LANKATILAKA
The famous Lankatilaka Temple is a cruciform building renowned for its well-preserved traditional Sinhala architecture. Built on the top of a rock, the temple can only be reached by scaling the ancient steps, which are cut into the rock face. A long passage leads you from an Image House through a Mandapa (hall) and into an inner sanctum, which has walls richly decorated with intricate floral designs and exquisite scenes from the lives of the 24 former Buddhas. In the midst of this sanctum is a colossal image of a seated Buddha.
GADALADENIYA
Located in close proximity is the ancient monastery called the Gadaladeniya temple. This temple was built by King Buwanekabahu IV in the year 1344. Designed by a South Indian artist, Ganesvarachari, this temple has profound south Indian masonry marks.
PERADENIYA BOTANICAL GARDENS
The park dates back to the Kandyan Kingdom, when they were used as pleasure grounds by the royal families. However, the Peradeniya Gardens itself was established after the British seized the kingdom in 1821. Spreading over 150 hectares of elegantly manicured landscape, the Gardens prides itself on having over 400 species of indigenous tropical flora and exotic plant species. It is also renowned for its collection of orchid, boasting over 300 different varieties of the flower.
