The octagon
Above the moat.
Sandali.L.Kumarasinghe — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Yercaud-elango — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Z thomas — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Philip Nalangan — CC BY 4.0 · Frans-Banja Mulder — CC BY 3.0 · SushaniFernando — CC BY-SA 4.0 · xiquinhosilva — CC BY 4.0 · L Manju — CC BY-SA 4.0
Sri Lanka's most important Buddhist temple, known locally as Sri Dalada Maligawa, stands within the royal palace complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy. It houses a relic attributed to the Buddha that Buddhists venerate, and holding it was long tied to the right to rule the island, which is why kings always built its temples close to their palaces. Together with old Kandy it is a World Heritage Site. Its best-known feature is the white octagonal tower, the Paththirippuwa, overlooking the moat and the lake, along with carved wooden ceilings and decorated doorways. Next door are the royal festival hall, the Magul Maduwa, and buildings of the old palace. Rituals are held three times a day, at dawn, mid-morning and in the evening, when the halls fill with worshippers and flowers. Every summer the famous Esala Perahera procession takes decorated elephants through the streets of the city. Tickets are LKR 3,000 for foreigners (LKR 2,500 for SAARC, Thai and Myanmar nationals) and cover the temple, the Dalada Museum, the World Buddhist Museum, the Tusker Museum and the Royal Elephant Stable; it is open daily 05:30–20:00, per the temple's official site. Shorts and sleeveless tops are not allowed, and shoes and hats come off at the entrance.
Above the moat.
Three times a day.
Around the temple.
Sri Dalada Veediya, Kandy, beside Kandy Lake
LKR 3,000 for foreigners and LKR 2,500 for SAARC, Thai and Myanmar nationals, including the museums, per the temple's official site.
Modest clothes covering shoulders and knees, no shorts or sleeveless tops; shoes and hats come off.
