The old temples of Kandy part of the temple of Buddha's tooth relic is like something out of Walt Disney's Jungle Book. I expected to see King Louis the orangutang climbing on the walls with all his monkey friends.

The Ancient Natha Devalaya Temple in Kandy Sri Lanka

As you go in the main temple gate way from the street there is the lake on your right and a long tall wall on your left. You can just about see the temple roofs jutting over the top of the wall. You get a better view from inside the main temple. The entrance is opposite the ticket kiosk.

There are different sections inside the old walls of the Sacred City of Kandy. The ancient Buddhist Natha Devalaya Temple is on the left near the wall and includes two white bell shaped stupas. Behind that is the Hindu Lord Pattini Temple and the Vel Bodhiya.

To the north is the very British looking St Pauls Church which is next to the Old Dharmaraja school buildings. Inside the Church of St Paul you could be forgiven in thinking you had been transported to a little country village in England. Because it rains so much in Kandy many of the open areas are covered by tiled roofs kept up by strong wooden pliers.

There are no doors or windows so the faithful can be kept cool as well as dry. There are not many places on this earth where Hindu, Buddhist and Christian places of worship are next door to each other.

A Stupa Dagoba in The Ancient Natha Devalaya Temple in Kandy

The Sri Lankan National Museum In Kandy

To the East of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic you will find the National Museum. It was originally used as the house of the Royal Concubines. It now displays Kandy Royal regalia and exhibits or pre-colonial life in Kandy. There is a very important historical document on show.

It is a copy of the 1815 agreement that was signed by the last Kandyan King handing over his kingdom to the British. It tries to justify the handover of power by alleging the King was a vicious dictator and goes onto record the arbitrary and unjust infliction of bodily tortures and pains of death without trial and sometimes without accusation of possibility of a crime, and the general contempt and contravention of all civil rights have become flagrant enormous and intolerable.

Prays being offered in Kandy st the Ancient Natha Devalaya Temple

The British Garrison Cemetery

Not far from the National Museum is the British Garrison Cemetery. The Cargills of the Sri Lankan Colonial Supermarket fame are buried here. So is the grave of James McGlashan who had fought at the Battle of Waterloo but later died in Ceylon from malaria. It is interesting to just walk and read the headstones. Life was hazardous in colonial Ceylon and the causes of death are diverse ranging from Jungle Fever, sunstroke to crushing by elephants.

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