ONWARDS TO KANDY

Leaving the hills of Sri Lanka, I returned to the plains, into the city of Kandy. Kandy is a sacred city and was once the capital of Sri Lanka. It houses the Temple of the Tooth Relic, a sprawling complex dedicated to the Tooth of the Buddha. It is one of the holiest pilgrimage destinations for Buddhists all over the world. Unaware of the conservative dressing conventions at the temple, I was dressed in a pair of pants that didn’t extend to my ankles. Imagine my surprise when a police officer pulled me aside and denied me entry, all the while shouting at me in Sinhalese, that at best was garbled gibberish to me. Thankfully, our tour guide, Sampath rescued me. Only when I had wrapped an intricately embroidered “lungi” from a salesman, who looked amused at the bewilderment of numerous other hapless tourists like me. I could continue the tour.

Nevertheless, once I entered the temple, a sense of devotion came over me. The walls of the temple were decorated with incredibly beautiful paintings depicting Buddha, from the stories of Jatakas (Buddhist Literature). Graceful figurines occupied the significant portion of the carved wooden pillars. The inner sanctum sanctorum, which contained “The Sacred Tooth”, was covered in layers of gold and embedded with precious gems. The sanctum’s atmosphere was suffused with incense, and the soft light of earthen lamps illuminated the whole room. When I emerged back into the sunlit lawns, I felt peaceful. After lunch at a local restaurant,  it was time to explore the Royal Botanical Gardens. I later regretted it because the place was built like a maze and, despite having a map, it took me hours to locate the exit finally. 

I explored the city and its marketplaces. I find markets to be the most culturally vibrant places. You can see people and goods from all over the city and interact with the residents of the area. Having thoroughly tired myself out, I felt relieved to be finally at our hotel, Amaya Hills, Kandy. It was built on the side of the hill and was surrounded by endemic bird species. I was surprised to find such a place in the city. The hotel is built interestingly. The reception area was set on a raised platform that overlooked the entire hotel. It was the most fascinating place in the whole hotel, as one could have the entire view of the city of Kandy, glittering amid this Sri Lankan paradise. The hotel’s dining area overlooked its swimming pool. It was adorable watching little kids waddling around in the pool like joyous ducks, having the time of their lives. The hotel offered several activities for some of its more adventurous guests such as sightseeing along nature trails, bird watching at dawn, workshops on a variety of topics and many more such things. I would recommend a stay at Amaya Hills if you are staying in Kandy.