Kandy

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City in central Sri Lanka, on the Mahaweli River; capital of a district of the same name; population (2001 est) 110,000. It lies 116 km/72 mi northeast of Colombo. It is the focus both of a major tea-growing area and of the Sinhalese Buddhist culture. One of the most sacred Buddhist shrines is situated in Kandy. Called the Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth), it contains an alleged tooth of the Buddha. The temple was bombed by Tamil separatists in 1998 but was subsequently restored.

The city was capital of the kingdom of Kandy 1480–1815, when it was captured by the British. Today Kandy remains an important administrative, commercial, cultural, and educational centre and is visited by many tourists and pilgrims.

The chief campus of the University of Sri Lanka (1942) is at Peradenia, 5 km/3 mi to the southwest. Peradenia is also the site of famous botanical gardens. Kandy was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988.

Red and white are traditional colours, dating back to the flag of 19th-century Samoan king, Malietoa Laupepa. The Southern Cross constellation links Samoa to other countries in the southern hemisphere. Effective date: 4 July 1997. >>