Sri Lanka: Kandy … Quick Look-See

We were up just before 6:00a … for an early departure from Kandy. Not because we wanted to do so, mind you. But the reason is a moot point now, so no sense in dwelling on it. Except to say that we will be more choosy about who joins us on tours in the future.

The view from our balcony was misty. Likely because the sun was steaming up the humidity in the air. The temp was already inching towards 86F. Little did we know then that the mid-day temperature in Colombo would be a feels-like 99F … ugh!

What the darkness had hidden from our eyes last night was now visible … a hill clad in lush green vegetation … buildings nestled amidst them. Looking to the left we got a real surprise … a glimpse of Kandy Lake and the palace complex … including the golden canopy; the Temple of the Tooth Relic; the Queen’s Bathing Pavilion, and more.

We didn’t have much time to dally and enjoy the scenery, however. Moving up our departure from the hotel to 8:00a meant breakfast at 7:00a. Dutifully, we got ready for the day ahead, went down to the lobby to grab a bite to eat, and checked out of the Radisson.

When we met up with our guide, he suggested a quick look-see around Kandy … reiterating once again that we had plenty of time to get back to Colombo. With traffic flowing to Kandy, there would be little traffic to contend with on the way back to the port. So, off we went to see what we could see.

Our first stop was on the shoreline of Lake Kandy. Across the lake was the scene we had glimpsed from our balcony at the Radisson … the palace complex. What we thought was a platform when we saw it all lit up against the dark sky last night turned out to be Diatilaka Mandapa Island. At one time, it was home to a mandapa … a pillared hall or pavilion for public rituals. Built in the 14th century, today it only has trees and grass and part of the building standing. Would have been interesting to see it … but alas!

Next, we drove up to Arthur’s Seat … more commonly known as the Kandy Viewpoint. At the overlook, expansive views of the city, Lake Kandy, and the palace complex greeted our eyes. As well, on another hill, we spotted the stupa and Buddha statue of Bahirawakanda Vihara … a Buddhist monastery. At a height of over 82 feet, the statue of the seated Buddha is apparently the tallest in Sri Lanka.

The monastery is named for the hill it sits on. In doing more research, I came across the following snippet on the “Love Sri Lanka” website that I thought was interesting …

“Bahirawakanda means “Gnome Mountain”, and this name hark[en]s back to the legend surrounding the temple hill. The villagers who lived in the surrounding areas once believed that the hill was the home of an evil gnome that devoured unsuspecting humans. In an effort to appease it, the villagers would sacrifice a virgin girl (or several virgins, depending on the version of the story) to the hill.

The good news? Over time, fear of the hill and the superstition have faded … no more virgin sacrifices.Baca lagi