The Bambarella Saree Ella Falls lies 5 minute drive from the Bambarella town and this waterfall takes form of a fall of a ladies saree thus its name. The fall consists of number of cascades and can be accessed on any vehicle.
Hidden inside the jungles in Gurulupotha on the way to Mahiyangana lies a ruined site called Gurulupotha Sita Kotuwa surrounded by a garden of water falls lost in time.
Rajapihilla (The Royal Bath) of the ancient kings of Kandy lies hidden on a by lane of Ampitiya Road where no regular tourist visits.
Kotamudungala Raja Maha Viharaya is believed to be built by King Vatta Gamini Abaya aka King Walagamba between 103 BC – 89BC, who said to use this area to train his armies during his hiding from South Indian invaders.
Ilupandeniya Raja Maha Viharaya lies in the District of Kandy and its origins are believed to be going as far as the era of King Devamnampiyatissa (250-210 BC). History records that there was an Buddhist education center (Pirivena’) during the reign of Queen Kalyanawathi (1202-1208 AD)
Godamunna Ambalama or the wayside rest lies in the village of Godamunne. It is said that the pillers used for this rest is from the Rajasinha II’s Castle of Hanguraketa. If so this would be the only remnants of this castle after it was burned down by the Dutch.
The Balana Fortress served as the Kandyan Kingdom’s primary defensive “lookout,” thwarting multiple Portuguese invasions. Through strategic resistance and a decisive 1638 victory under Rajasinghe II, the stronghold maintained Kandy’s independence against superior colonial forces.
The Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya, is Sri Lanka’s largest and most storied garden, spanning 147 acres. Originally a 14th-century royal pleasure ground, it now houses over 4,000 species, including a world-renowned orchid collection, a massive Javan fig tree, and the iconic Avenue of Royal Palms.
The Maha Vishnu Devalaya is a premier spiritual pillar of Kandy, dedicated to Lord Vishnu as the protective deity of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Rebuilt by King Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe, this architectural gem features a distinctive multi-tiered roof.
Wegiriya Rajamaha Viharaya has a long history supported by Brahmi inscriptions belonging to the pre Christian era at a cave with a drip ledge which is called “Vavul Gal Lena”. The construction of the temple is attributed to “Mayim Bandara”.
Suriyagoda Rajamaha Viharaya is located in the Yatinuwara Area along the Kandy -Colombo road. This temple is said to founded in the 15th century by a Rajaguru (Mentor of the King) called Bandara appointed by King Parakramabahu VI of Kotte
The remains we see today of the Royal Palace of Kandy is the residence of the last king of Kandyan Kingdom, Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe (1797 – 1814). But the original palace has been burnt and destroyed several times and rebuilt again by subsequent kings.
At the entrance to the Kandy city as you travel form Colombo we see near the Kandy Police Station, a Hindu Temple popularly known to the Sinhalese as Pillaiyar Kovil dedicated to God Ganesh,
Standing west of Natha Devale, Kandy’s historic Pattini Devale honors the goddess of chastity and healing. This four-century-old shrine, featured in ancient epics and royal processions, boasts elegant Kandyan architecture. Devotees visit this sacred rectangular structure to seek protection from disease, famine, and drought through divine blessings.
Gampola Niyamgampaya Rajamaha Viharaya is situated at Mariyawattha on the road from Gampola to Nawalapitiya. The origin of the temple is not very clear but according to historical documents it can be assumed that this temple has been in existence since the early Christian Era.
Niththawela Raja Maha Viharaya which accommodated venerable Velivita Sri Sarankara in his educational activities during the reign of King Narendrasinghe (1707 – 1739) must have been existed from much earlier times.
The Natha Devalaya is Kandy’s oldest surviving structure, a 14th-century gedige shrine dedicated to Natha, a form of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. Standing opposite the Temple of the Tooth, it served as the sacred site for royal coronations and naming ceremonies of the Kandyan Kingdom.
Just above the Malwatu Maha Viharaya in Kandy and near the present Wales Park on the hills is found a small but beautiful old viharaya called Naga Vimanaya. This is a supposed to be a place where Velivita Sri Saranankara Thero lived for some time.
The superstructure of the Minimarupitiya Tampita Viharaya is composed of wattle and daub and is square in shape. The height of the doorway is about four feet and its dimensions are 10 feet by 15 feet, standing on six stone dwarf pillars.
Across the lake from the temple of the Tooth Relic, is situated one of the great centres of the Sangha, belonging to the Siam Nikaya, known as “Malwatu Maha Viharaya”. This great monastery consists of two sections.
