Sunkissed in Sri Lanka (Part 3): Kandy's Sacred Tooth and More!

- April 15, 2025, Tuesday.

- As one of the most important historical cities of Sri Lanka, Kandy is surely home to many national treasures. One driving force that brings people to Kandy is the Buddha's tooth relic housed in the Sri Dalada Maligawa Temple, also known as the Temple of the Tooth Relic.

- The temple was built in 1595 and is one of the most important Buddhist temples in the whole world today. The tooth relic was said to be brought to Sri Lanka after Siddhartha Gautama's passing. It is also one of the few temples in the world that claim to have Buddha's tooth.

Queen's Hotel. One of Sri Lanka's oldest hotels, it was built originally as a residence for the Kandyan king, before being converted to a hotel in 1869. It is located across the Temple of the Tooth Relic. 

At the temple. Most devotees wear white, so while there is no strict dress code (apart from nor wearing revealing or improper clothing), wearing white is most advisable.

There were already devotees flocking the temple, so it was nearly impossible to get photos without people in the background (but you can actually see part of the crowd at the back, entering the temple.)

- I got to the temple up and early in order to beat the crowds. While there were already some devotees in the temple, most of the tourists had yet to arrive. I also chose the perfect day to visit the temple. I visited a day or two before the Exposition of the Tooth Relic Celebration. The city was preparing for a massive crowd in the coming days, with devotees all over Sri Lanka and abroad; on these days, the tooth relic will be open to the public the whole day. Normally, just like the day I went, the tooth relic is only open to the public twice a day for one hour each, during the designated viewing times. Then, the tooth relic will be kept away from public eyes until the next viewing schedule.    

Shrine at the temple's ground floor.

Tooth relic shrine at the second floor before opening.

A glimpse of the tooth relic (I was not allowed to take photos up close). The tooth is inside that gold thing.

- Within the temple grounds, there are also many things to see and do, such as visiting the Sri Dalada Maligawa Museum (photos not allowed), the Raja Museum, the audience hall, the old palace (which is not a small history museum), and the International Buddhist Museum across the temple.

Audience Hall.

Pillars of the Audience Hall.

Raja Museum. This is the now-stuffed elephant named Raja. He was the carrier of the relic casket since it was donated to the temple in 1937 until its death in 1988.

Inside the old palace which is now a small history museum. This one shows the Kandyan king on the throne. 

Outside the International Buddhist Museum. (Photos not allowed inside). The museum is a comprehensive guide to Buddhist cultures all around the world.

Entrance to the International Buddhist Museum.

Queen's Bathing Pool just across the temple.

The actual pool (which obviously isn't used anymore.)

- Within the vicinity is also the Kandy National Museum. Although opened in 1942, the building that houses the museum used to be part of the Kandyan royal palace, particularly, the harem. Today, the small museum shows various artifacts on the royal heritage of Kandy.

Various Kandyan attires.

Royal.

Kandyan dance.

The museum.

- After my whole morning at the temple grounds, I had brunch at the Mlesna Tea Centre Restaurant. It is a Sri Lankan tea brand that started in 1983. In Kandy, this particular restaurant is in the downtown area. It has an old British feel, and has local and international food. I had a lovely brunch there especially with their signature Ceylonese black tea.

I was the only person there.

I had Sri Lankan a samosa (which has a softer wrapping than Indian samosas), then I had sambol (coconut relish) and egg sandwiches, and black tea. 

I had an eclair for dessert too.

This is what it looks like outside.

- I freshened up a bit at the hotel before going to the Kandy Municipal Central Market. It opened in 1959 and is the perfect place to find both wet and dry goods. There are also many souvenir shops at the second level. The ground level has tea and spice shops which may also carry souvenir items. However, because of the holidays, only a handful of stores were open. Be sure to haggle well too! 

Saw this at one of the underground passes. I wasn't sure what this elephant-octopus is supposed to be.

Central market.

Market from the inside.

- Later that afternoon I rode a tuktuk to the Sri Maha Bodhi Viharaya temple. It is one of the most recognizable landmarks because the large white Buddha on the hill can be seen from the town. It was consecrated in 1972, but only finished in 1993.

It was nearly impossible to have this without people as there were some tourists around.

Looking at this white Buddha statue brings some kind of peace to one's mind.

Another temple, another bodhi tree.

View of Kandy Lake from the hills.

- My last agenda for the day was to go to the other side of Kandy Lake to visit the Kandy Lake Club. I hailed a tuktuk that took me from the hill and around the lake. I was actually in a hurry to catch my cultural performance show. Because of traffic, and the fact that I had to hail a second tuktuk because my first tuktuk suddenly decided he couldn't take me, I thought I was going to be late. Thankfully I also had a reserved seat which I bought from their website (click here). 

- The Kandy Lake Club started in 1982 and performs Sri Lankan dances daily.  The dances range from classical to folk forms. The whole performance lasts around an hour.

Puja natuma - invocation dance.

Devol natuma - dance for healing and warding off evil.

Mayura natuma - the peacock dance; a personal favorite.

Raksha natuma - raksha mask dance, particularly ones depicting a cobra and a bird.

Rabana natuma - the hand drum or the rabana is not just played but also used for particular stunts.

Gini natuma - fire dance.

Ves natuma - Kandy's most iconic dance form with men wearing the traditional Kandyan outfit.

Fire walking.

The Kandy Lake Club's choreographer.

- Going back to the hotel was also a bit of an adventure because no car or tuktuk would pick me up from the Kandy Lake Club as it is a bit off way. The Kandy Lake Club had a tuktuk that brought me downhill to the main street, and helped me hail a proper tuktuk there. Thankfully the tuktuk we found was familiar with my hotel and asked for a price that wasn't too far off from what I would've been charged via the PickMe App.

- Because I was quite tired from my (mis)adventures for the day, I just decided to have dinner at the hotel's roof deck restaurant. Though I covered much of Kandy, the real adventure was just beginning. I had to make sure that I had enough rest for one of the most challenging days of my week in Sri Lanka: hiking up Sigiriya and the Dambulla Caver Temple!

** Check out my other Sri Lanka adventures here!

Part 1: Colombo Fort, Pettah Market, Lotus Tower, Galle Face Green - here

Part 2: Kandy, Ambulawawa Tower, Three Temple Loop - here 

Part 4: Sigiriya and Dambulla Cave Temple - here

Part 5: Nuwara Eliya, Nanu Oya, Ella - here

Part 6: Kandy, Bogambara Prison Park and Train to Colombo - here

Part 7: Colombo, Gangaramaya Temple, Independence Memorial Hall, National Museum - here

(Part 1) Busan, the Southern Frontier: Train to Busan (Literally), and Korea's "Most Beautiful Temple"

- April 11, 2019, Thursday.

- Most people I know know one thing about Busan: "Train to Busan." It was a highly popular South-Korean zombie-apocalyptic film starring Korean actor Gong Yoo that came out in 2016. It was about a virus that turned people to zombies, and the zombies were "programmed" to infect other people by biting or scratching them. The title was named as such as the zombie virus infection happened as Gong Yoo's character was riding a train on the way to Busan from Seoul.

- I was in Seoul for around 2.5 days (click here to see) before my colleagues and I rode the KTX train to Busan from Seoul Station - the very same thing that happened in the film. Seoul Station is the main station in the capital city, with trains that go to all other parts of South Korea. It is also connected to the metro system of Seoul.

Seoul Station.

The old Seoul Station beside the new one.

Namsan Tower at the far back.

- Although the 2.5-hour ride to Busan from Seoul was far from being infested with zombies (thank God!), it did not stop me from having fun at the train by semi-discretely reenacting some scenes from the movie. (Thank you colleagues for being a part of this by taking my photos and letting my have my fun.) The ride was scenic - I saw the mountains, farms, plains, and valleys of Korea, until we reached the southern port city of Busan where I saw a stunning view of the bay. By the way, Busan is known for its high mountains and vast seas.

Having fun inside the train (click to enlarge.)

Me annoying my colleagues.

Busan!!

Busan Harbor Bridge.

Another angle of the Busan Harbor Bridge.

- It was my first time in Busan, and I was happy that it was still a bit chilly just like Seoul, but a lot less rainy. We checked in our hotel in Haeundae, known for its beaches but far from the downtown area of Busan (around 30 minutes to an hour by taxi.) Speaking of transportation, Busan has a metro system and the T Money used in Seoul can be used here as well. However, most sites are not conveniently located near the subway/metro, and some areas are quite high up in the mountains, so the taxi is the best and most convenient way to go around Busan.

- Since we had a free afternoon, some of my colleagues and I visited what is dubbed as the 'most beautiful temple in Korea" - Haedong Yonggungsa ("Eastern Sea Dragon Palace Temple"). It was built in the late 1300s Goryo Dynasty and was renovated after being destroyed by Japanese invasions in the 1500s. The Yonggungsa is unusual as it is a temple that overlooks the sea; most Buddhist temples can be found in the hearts of cities so they can easily be accessed by the royalty, politicians, and lay people; or on mountains or hills where the monks can have some peace and quiet. However, listening to the waves crash against the temple's foundations and smelling the subtle fragrance of the salty ocean smell do seem to have a calming effect.

The 12 animals of the Chinese/Korean zodiac welcome people.

What are you looking at?

"Haedong Yonggungsa."

Tunnel to the most breathtaking view ever.

See what I told you?

Of course there's me.

You said so.

My brothers!!

Buddha.

Colorful gates based with the 5 elemental colors of eastern Buddhism.

This view keeps reminding me of Miley Cyrus' song "When I Look at You."

Should have known about this when I was still studying.

- It is best to ride a cab to Yonggungsa as it is quite far from the city. Taxis for hire can be found at the parking lot, as many people do go back to the city by taxi as well. Convenient, right? However, if you are feeling adventurous, ride the train to Haeundae metro station and ride bus 181 from the station's Exit 7 to the temple.

- We took the cab back to Haeundae as the temple was closing during sundown. We spent the rest of the evening exploring the Haeundae area. It was nice to know that the beach was just around 300 meters from our hotel! I know I'm not much of a beach person, it was still a nice discovery. Well, even if I was, the 14-degree-Celcius temperature was not a suitable temperature for swimming in the sea. 

- Haeundae is a vibrant part of Busan. I keep thinking of the Haeundae as Hawaii's Waikiki, where all the (expensive) high-rise hotels are and all the touristy stuff. Just outside our hotel, rows and rows of restaurants (with all sorts of cuisines!) lined the street leading to the sea.

That's our hotel by the way. Haha.

There's a fountain in the middle. Reminds me of Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square.

SEAFOOD STREET OMG.

Restaurant after restaurant of fresh seafood!!

One day....I will eat a giant crab. ONE DAY.

Busan at night.

Haeungdae at night.

Other side of Haeundae.

- I always like walking at night in Korea's big cities because it's generally safe in Korea, and the cities seem to have a different life and aura at night as compared to their daytime selves. To be honest, cities like Seoul or Busan feel more "alive" at night than during the day. However, we couldn't stay out too long as we had to prepare for our meetings the following day. Despite our tight schedule, I was still excited to see and experience the southern frontier of Busan!! (See my trip to Seoul here, Busan Part 2 here, and Part 3 here!!)