Kandy City
Kandy, a picturesque city in central Sri Lanka, is renowned for its rich cultural heritage, vibrant festivals, and scenic beauty. Nestled amidst lush hills, it is home to the Temple of the Tooth Relic, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and offers a captivating blend of history and natural splendor.
Gadaladeniya Vihara ෴ ගඩලාදෙණිය විහාරය
Der Gadaladeniya-Tempel in Sri Lanka ist ein altes Kloster, das auf einem Felsen in Diggala im Bezirk Kandy erbaut wurde. Laut einer in die Wände eingravierten Inschrift wurde der Tempel im Jahr 1344 n. Chr. von König Buwanekabaghu dem Vierten erbaut. Der Tempel wurde vom südindischen Architekten Ganesvarachchari in einem der südindischen Architektur ähnlichen Design entworfen.
Höhepunkte des Gadaladeniya-Tempels:
- Im Hauptraum des Schreins befinden sich eine große sitzende Buddha-Statue unter einem Makara Thorana (Drachenbogen) und vier stehende Buddha-Statuen.
- Der Hauptsitzbuddha soll aus dem Stein gefertigt, verputzt und mit Gold bemalt worden sein.
- Die Makara Thorana ist mit Göttern und Himmelskörpern geschmückt.
- Die Wände und Säulen sind alle im echten südindischen Stil mit Elefanten, Tänzern und anderen Figuren geschnitzt.
- In der Kammer der Kuppel befindet sich eine Buddha-Statue, die von den Portugiesen zerstört wurde.
- Der Schrein neben dem Hauptschrein ist dem Gott Vishnu gewidmet und neben dem Vishnu-Tempel befindet sich ein großer Stupa, der von König Parakramabaghu dem Fünften auf einem Felsgrund errichtet wurde.
- Dieser große Hauptstupa hat ein Dach, das von vier Säulen getragen wird, und vier kleinere Stupas, die ihn in den vier Himmelsrichtungen umgeben. Jede kleinere Stufe verfügt über einen Schreinraum und einen Blumensockel. Diese Struktur ist als Vijayothpaya oder Vijayantha Prasana bekannt, benannt nach dem Palast Gottes Indra.
- Nachdem der Tempel einige Jahrhunderte lang vernachlässigt worden war, wurde er im 18. Jahrhundert vom König Viraparakrama Narendrasinha einem buddhistischen Priester übergeben und ist seitdem im Kloster verblieben.
- Der Tempel war laut Wandinschrift ursprünglich als Dharma Keerthi Vihara bekannt und erhielt den Namen Gadaladeniya erst im gleichnamigen Dorf, in dem er steht.
- Andere Namen für Gadaladeniya sind „ Saddharmathilake “ und „ Saddharmalankaraya “.
About Kandy District
Kandy district is situated in the centrel province of Sri Lanka. One of the seven World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka, Kandy was once home to the Kandyan Kings of yore in the 16th-century and a fountainhead for all the music, arts, crafts and culture in the country. About 129 km away from Colombo, Kandy is ensconced amongst a hilly terrain and all eyes are drawn to the centre of the city, where the Kandy Lake forms a charming feature. Kandy retains great religious significance for Sri Lanka, because it is in this charming city that the Dalada Maligawa or "Temple of the Tooth" is located, within which the sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha lies well guarded.
The Royal Botanical Garden, Peradeniya is situated about 5 km to the west of the city centre at Peradeniya and is visited by 1.2 million people per year. It is the largest botanical garden on the island. The Udawatta Kele (Udawatta Forest) is a protected sanctuary situated in the heart of the city, just north of Temple of the Tooth.
Kandy is a Sinhala majority city; there are sizeable communities belonging to other ethnic groups, such as Moors and Tamils. Kandy is second only to Colombo the center of the Sri Lankan Economy. Many major co operations have large branch officers in Kandy and many industries include textiles, furniture, Information Technology and jewellery are found here. Many agriculture research centers are located in the city.
And a fountainhead for all the music, arts, crafts and culture in the country. About 129 km away from Colombo, Kandy is ensconced amongst a hilly terrain and all eyes are drawn to the centre of the city, where the Kandy Lake forms a charming feature. Kandy retains great religious significance for Sri Lanka , because it is in this charming city that the Dalada Maligawa or Temple of the Toothis located, within which the sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha lies well guarded.
About Central Provincce
The Central Province of Sri Lanka consists primarily of mountainous terrain. The province has an area of 5,674 km², and a population of 2,421,148. Some major towns include Kandy, Gampola (24,730), Nuwara Eliya and Bandarawela. The population is a mixture of Sinhalese, Tamil and the Moors.
Both the hill capital Kandy and the city of Nuwara Eliya are located within the Central Province as well as Sri Pada. The province produces much of the famous Ceylon tea, planted by the British in the 1860s after a devastating disease killed all the coffee plantations in the province. Central Province attracts many tourists, with hill station towns such as Kandy, Gampola, Hatton and Nuwara Eliya. Temple tooth or Dalada maligawa is the main sacred place in Centrel province.
The climate is cool, and many areas about 1500 meters often have chilly nights. The western slopes are very wet, some places having almost 7000 mm of rain per year. The eastern slopes are parts of the mid-dry zone as it is receiving rain only from North-Eastern monsoon. The Temperatures range from 24°C at Kandy to just 16°C in Nuwara Eliya, which is located 1,889 m above sea level. The highest mountains in Sri Lanka are located in the Central Province. The terrain is mostly mountainous, with deep valleys cutting into it. The two main mountain regions are the central massif and the Knuckles range to the east of Kandy.