After a phenomenal Pinnawala experience with the elephants and checking into the hill-top Topaz Hotel, it was time to ride through the idyllic town of Kandy on Day 2 of our trip. A good night's sleep was absolutely must owing to the hectic flight schedule and traveling on Day 1.
A quick breakfast and we were downstairs ready for the Kandy show...
Our first halt was at the famous Kandy Botanical Gardens.
The area developed over a many hectares of land is a brilliant collection of natural wonders and local species that delight one and all.
** Tickets priced at SLR. 500=00 for foreign tourists
There were two options - the 7 seater battery driven cab or good old strolling.
We obviously preferred the walk and marched into the fine garden.
From the national Rosewood tree of Sri Lanka to the local double-coconut tree, from one of the largest creeper trees in the world (unable to recall its name) to the various plants planted by world leaders, it had everything. Medicinal herbs, imported plantations, amazing flowers and everything you can expect from a top class botanical setup.
The place was impeccably maintained by the gardeners and working staff.
Most trees had their botanical names along with their Sinhalese translations. We had some difficulty mapping them with our Indian equivalents but it was fun using Translator Apps to attempt that...
After a 2-3 km walk (major part of the whole garden), we decided to move to the exit gates for our onward journey.
Some yummy coconut water and yummy ice cream awaited us (much needed after that walk) as we sat down in the greens and enjoyed it to the fullest.
We then moved towards downtown Kandy for the main attraction of the day - The Tooth Temple Of The Relic. Adjacent to the temple is the magnificent Kandy Lake making the monument even more beautiful and pictureque.
For Visitors: There is a baggage check and frisking before entering the temple.
There is a long garden approach (about 500 m) leading to the main temple area. Our local tour guide had some wonderful stories to tell about the statues in the garden and their significance in setting up the temple.
One of the fables included that of a 6 year old boy who offered to sacrifice his life for the sake of his family related to the tooth of relic. His statue stands there as testimony to his courage at that young age.
We then entered through a gate from the right side of the temple. Immediately, there was a sense of calm energy all around. It was a two-storeyed building. The floor below had a chamber with elephant tusks used to decorate/adorn the doors. Looked magnificent.
The tour party then moved upstairs to the main sanctum zone where the tooth is kept inside the chamber securely. No one gets to see the actual tooth since its stored under a stupa (a dome shaped vessel) in a layer of chambers. We could see the chamber closed from all directions. There were priests and people praying around the chamber in an open hall. The energies were felt.
Will post my understanding of the legend of the tooth on another post shortly.
There is a 5 day festival in Kandy where the decorated chamber of the tooth is carried around on an elephant back during Aug-Sep every year. The king of the place escorts the Tooth during the procession throughout the city. There are dances, street shows and festivities all around during that mega event. Must be fun. Reminded me of the Mysore Dussehra festival back in India.
There were carvings and paintings from the life of Buddha to how his tooth was established at this place all over the temple. All in all, a divine experience for me.
Back on the bus, we headed to our next destination for food followed by a Sri Lankan cultural show by local artistes. The show included wonderful dances, warrior drums and beats, comedy acts and acrobatics. There was rousing applause to most acts from a hundred plus audience (from all across the globe). The pinnacle of the show was a fire act in an open ground (walking on coal, etc). Fun overall.
The women of the group then took an opportunity to explore the nearby marketplace. That sent the schedule for a toss as expected :) but we were signing off for the day anyway, so it was all good. A lot of purchases including wooden artifacts, gemstones, fabric were sold and everyone returned back to their rooms happy and contented by the day's experience..
The next day >> we were to check out of kandy and move to Nuwara Eliya, the hill stations of Sri Lanka.
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