Kandy Lake

One of the best attractions and must do for visitors of the mountain, Kandy, is to take a walking tour around Kandy Lake which dominates the heavenly place and its beautiful beauty. A silent walk especially during sunset, enjoying the sounds of nature is a wonderful way to get closer to Mother Earth and eat happiness. Located next to the Temple of the Tooth is a special lake built in 1807 by the King of Sri Lanka.

The whole walk is about 2.1 miles and it covers the beauty of the temple which is covered with many resting places where one can sit and enjoy the beauty and beauty of the Temple. and the lake. In the middle of the lake there is a small island with some palm trees that make the lake look even more dangerous.

History

The lake in front of the Temple of the Tooth was once a paddy field called Tigolwela. It was changed into a lake by King Sri Wickrama Rajasinha in 1807. Because there was a lake called Kiri-muhuda (a "milky sea") in the middle of the Tigolwela, the lake was built later also called Kiri-muhuda. Deveda Moolacharya is known as the architect of Kandy Lake. The king first built a reservoir on the land, starting from the Paththirippuwa (octagon), where the steps leading to the lake are still visible at the Mahamaluwa (Esplanade), up to the Poya-maluwa. The water, through which a road was built, enabled the king to go to the other side to the Malwatte Vihare. According to D'Oyley, the dam was built between 1810-1812.

Small Artificial Island

There are many local legends and myths about the lake. One of them is the small island in its center that was used by the king's restaurant to bathe and was connected to the palace by a secret passage.

Information

The area of ​​Kandy Lake is 6,544 square meters. The circuit is 3.21 km. The maximum depth is 18.5 meters. The defensive wall, which looks like a cloud, is popularly known as Walakulu Bemma and measures 633.82 meters. The house in the middle of the lake, along with some ancient ruins, was known as Diyatilaka Mandapaya in the past. It is believed that Kings used this balcony to relax.

The Kandy Lake offers a place for a walk or a game. The shaded path around the lake provides a view of the mountains and the town. The Malwatte temple, one of the two temples of the Siyam Nikaya sect of Theravada Buddhism, is also located on the lake.

Sights of Kandy Lake

The Kandy Lake in Sri Lanka has come under the 'protected' radar of the government which makes it one of the best vacation spots in Sri Lanka. The lake also has attractions attached to it that should be on every tourist's bucket list.

Temple of the Sacred Tooth: The golden roofed temple is the reason for the construction of Kandy Lake, Sri Lanka. The temple houses the most important religious relic of all time, the tooth of Buddha. No one is allowed to see the tooth, however, it is kept in a golden box that is brought out during important festivals. These festivals are full of many celebrations that tourists can participate in and have a peaceful spiritual journey.

Diyathilaka Mandapaya

Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe built a dam for the purpose of reaching the other side of the lake. The king removed the earth from the end of the palace and the end of Malwatte Vihare, leaving an island behind. At first this island was a Royal Summer House for the Queen and the ladies of the court to relax. Later the British used it as a store and added a wall around its location.

Walakula Bamma

The lake is surrounded by a wall called Walakulu Bamma or Clouds Wall, which was built to increase the beauty of Kandy Lake. It spans about half of the lake and took one skilled craftsman to build. Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe could not complete the fort before the city was captured by the British and he was forced to surrender to the Kandian government. The Walakulu Bamma is still lying unfinished. Triangular holes in the wall were used in the past to light oil lamps on festival days.

Ulpange

Ulpange or Queens Bathing Pavilion is located partially in the water of Kandy Lake. The wives and concubines of Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe used the pavilion when bathing in the lake. After the British captured the city they added another floor and used the building as a library. It is now used as a guard post.

Many different trees are planted around the lake including Nuga trees, palm trees, fruit trees, Sal and Mara trees. Some of the trees are about 74 years old. The trees are now taken care by the Municipal Council of Kandy. Many species of birds are found on the lake, including Indian cormorants, white egret cranes, storks and pelicans.

Nearby Places to Visit Kandy Lake, Sri Lanka

Kandy Lake is surrounded by many famous places and has become a major tourist destination. There are many things to do in and around Kandy Lake. Some places near the kandy lake as follows.

Udawatta Kele Sanctuary

This forest reserve is more than 2 km away from the 257 acre Kandy Lake. There is a diverse flora in the reserve with different types of native plants, trees, aboriginal plants and many more. There are also plants like Red Sandalwood, Ceylon head, white fig and many other foods. It also has its share of wildlife that offers from 80 species of birds to many nocturnal mammals.

National Museum of Kandy

This museum is only 1 km away from Kandy Lake and is also known as "Palle Vahala". It used to be part of the Royal Palace built by King Wickrama Rajasinghe. The Ladies in the House used it as their living quarters. However, at the beginning of the 20th Century, the building was used to store historical works created by the Kandy Art association and the artists of Matale. The museum was accessible to the public in 1942 and now protects more than 5000 different artifacts including jewelry, weapons and tools.

Royal Botanical Garden

5 km away from Kandy Lake, the Royal Botanical Gardens is one of the highlights of Sri Lanka itself. It is home to various types of orchids, medicinal plants, coniferous trees and 4000 other species. The garden has been around since 1843 and contains many plants and trees that have been cultivated by famous people. Some of these trees are the Cannonball Tree planted by King George and Queen Mary in 1901, an Amherstia planted by Prince Albert of Belgium and a camphor tree planted by the first female Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Mrs Sirimavo Bandarunaike in the year 1972.

Best time to visit Kandy Lake in Sri Lanka

The Kandy lake gives you a wonderful experience throughout the year however, the best time to visit is in winter. Winter in Sri Lanka in between the months of December and April. It will be perfect for hiking and trekking because winters in Sri Lanka are dry and more pleasant. Something you may want to note is that Kandy Lake will be full of people in the month of April as Sri Lanka celebrates the Sinhalese in that month. You should probably avoid that month if you don't like a lot of people who are there during your visit. If you want to visit Kandy Lake when there are less people, then you can visit in the months of May to July and October to November. However, you should remember that the weather will be humid and changeable due to Sri Lanka's rainy seasons.

How to get to Kandy Lake

The city of Kandy is the home of the unique Kandy Lake along with the traditional calm places and is one of the best places in Sri Lanka. There is no airport in the city and the nearest airport is Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) in Colombo. It is a long journey from Colombo airport as it is 84 km from the airport. You can take a taxi or a bus from the Bandaranaike International Airport. If you want to reach the lake by train, you have to go to the Kandy Railway station. Traveling by train will be cheaper and safer to reach Kandy Lake. If you are looking for comfort and speed, we recommend that you hire a private car in Kandy Lake even though it is more expensive.

Overall, Kandy Lake is one of the must visit places in Sri Lanka. It gives travelers an experience that blends with nature and the man-made wonders of the lake. Don't forget to visit the place on your next trip to Sri Lanka. Start planning your trip by choosing from the many Sri Lanka tour packages from India available with Pickyourtrail. You can also customize your own way to Sri Lanka and Kandy Lake as a group.