Consider for a moment how the Kingdom of Kandy once thrived right where Sri Bodhirathna Rajaramaya stands today. This sacred place has witnessed centuries of history and cultural evolution. Sri Bodhirathna Rajaramaya is located near Gadaladeniya. Gadaladeniya is a popular village. The village produces traditional metalwork ornaments of Sri Lanka.
Kandy was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy. It existed from 1469 to 1818. The local Buddhist rulers strongly resisted Portuguese Dutch and British colonial expansion. Kandy is also home to the Temple of the Tooth Relic. It is one of the most sacred places for Buddhists. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 1988.
The city and region held many names. Senkadagala means great city of growing resplendence. The English name Kandy comes from the Sinhala Kanda Uda Rata. It means the land on the mountain.
Vikramabahu III first established Kandy. He was the monarch of the Kingdom of Gampola. He named it Senkadagalapura. Sena Sammatha Wickramabahu became the first king of the Kingdom of Kandy. He ruled Kandy as a semi-independent kingdom.
Konappu Bandara embraced Buddhism. He consolidated his power. He brought the tooth relic of the Buddha to Kandy. The relic came from a place called Delgamuwa. In 1592 Kandy became the capital of the last independent kingdom. The Portuguese conquered the coastal regions. Several Portuguese invasions failed.
The kingdom tolerated the Dutch presence. Attacks were launched occasionally. King Kirti Sri Rajasinha attacked most of the coast in 1761. The Dutch retaliated in 1763. The king abandoned the coastline. He withdrew into the interior. A peace treaty was signed in 1766. The Dutch controlled the coastal areas until 1796. Great Britain took over due to the Kew letters. British possession was formalized in 1802. The British invaded Kandy in 1803. They were repulsed.
Kandy became home to the relic of the tooth of Buddha. The relic symbolizes a 4th-century tradition. The protector of the relic was the ruler. The Royal Palace and Temple of the Tooth were close.
The Nayaks were the last ruling dynasty. Kandy stayed independent until the 19th century. In 1815 the British invaded. The Kandyan Convention was signed at the Sri Dalada Maligawa. The king Vikrama Rajasinha faced opposition. Sinhalese chieftains organized a coup. They accepted the British crown. This ended over 2500 years of Sinhalese monarchs. The island’s sovereignty was under the British Empire.
During British rule Kandy changed rapidly. Sir Lowry noted the shame of English rule. Leading families were decimated. Cholera smallpox and privations killed hundreds.
In 1848 Gongalegoda Banda and Puran Appu led the Matale Rebellion. The British had expropriated peasant land. Kandyan villagers became wage workers. They refused to give in. The British brought in Tamil coolies. The rebellion began on July 26 1848. Gongalegoda Banda was crowned king. Puran Appu was prime minister. Their objective was to recapture Kandy. In 1944 the South East Asia Command moved to Kandy. It remained there until the end of the war.
Today Kandy is the second-largest city. It is the capital of the Central Province. Its location makes it a transportation hub. Kandy is the gateway to the Central Highlands.
The city lies between mountain ranges. The elevation is 500 meters. It is next to Kandy Lake. Kandy has a tropical rainforest climate. The city has wetter and cooler temperatures.
Sri Bodhirathna Rajaramaya stands as a testament to Kandy’s resilience its cultural richness and its enduring spirit. It connects us to the past. It inspires us to appreciate the present. It reminds us of the vibrant heritage.