Sin: මහනුවර mahanuvara – Tam: கண்டி kaṇṭi
‘Mountain Country’ [Kanda Uda Rata] CP, Sri Lanka
From Sin: kanda, ‘hill, mountain’; uda, ‘above, up, over’; and rata, ‘country, district’.
The city, region and kingdom of Kandy has had many names. The English name Kandy comes from Sin: Kanda Uda Rata via Por: Candea.
In Sinhala, Kandy is called maha nuwara, ‘great city, capital’.
Kandy was the last capital of the ancient kings of Sri Lanka and held out until the British finally conquered it in the 19thC.
Kandy is celebrated for its Buddhist monuments including the Sri Dalada Maligawa temple which houses the dental relic of the Buddha. Bogambara Lake, in the centre of the city, is popular for strolling.
Kandy is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
For related place names see Sri Lanka Place names.
