Situated among the hills, the city is very picturesque. Its peculiar necklace is the wide river Mahaveli. There is an artificial lake in the centre of the city. A special attraction of Kandy is the Dalada Maligawa Temple, deeply revered by tourists, which houses the "Sacred Tooth" of Buddha, once snatched by one of his disciples from Buddha's funeral pyre, and then brought to Sri Lanka by a princess.
In late July and early August, Kandy hosts an annual ten-day carnival procession with many elephants, torch bearers, musicians and dancers. This is the only period of the year when the sacred relic leaves its temple - on an ornate elephant. It is an unforgettable sight for all who visit Sri Lanka at this time. 4 kilometres from Kandy is the Royal Botanical Garden in Peradeniya, which is one of the largest in Asia. There are a huge number of tropical plants, rare species of palm trees, over 1000 species of orchids and the garden's landmark, the huge umbrella tree.
