Kandy Lake

An ancient artificial lake, the spectacular Kandy Lake built overlooking the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic can be found in the heart of the city of Kandy and is well worth visiting.

The lake’s origins

A significant landmark in the city, the Kandy Lake was constructed by the last king of the Kingdom of Kandy, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha to enhance the grandeur of the famous Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. The king excavated paddy fields surrounding the sacred temple in order to build the lake, which was otherwise known as “Kiri Muhuda”.

The “Valakulu Bamma”

Encircling the lake is the unfinished “Valakulu Bamma” or the “clouds wall” which is around 2060 feet in length. The wall was in the process of being constructed when the British forces invaded Kandy and imprisoned the king in 1815. Those based in a nearby hotel in Kandyincluding options such as Kings Pavilion Kandy should not miss adding the lake to their checklist of places to visit.

Facts about the lake

The capacity of the lake is 704 acre-feet and the perimeter is approximately 3.4 kilometres. The historic Queens Bathing House is found beside Kandy Lake, which was said to be used by the wives of the king when bathing in the lake.

The “Jayatilleke Mandapaya”

In order to reach the opposite side of the lake, the king constructed a dam by removing the soil from the palace and the adjoining Malwatta Vihara; this resulted in the creation of an island. This was said to be used as a Summer House by royalty, though later it was utilised by the British as a place to store ammunition.

Caleb Falcon is a travel writer who specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers. Google+