Royal Botanical Garden, Peradeniya in Sri Lanka is located in close proximity to the city of Kandy in the Central Province of the country. It is well known for the collection the variety of Orchids, consisting over 300 varieties of Orchids, spices, medicinal plants and palms trees in it. It is the National Herbarium. The total land mass of the botanical garden is 147 acres, situated 460 Meters above sea level with a 200 day annual rain fall, it is managed by the Division of National Botanic Gardens of the Department of Agriculture.
The origins of the Botanical Gardens dates as far back as 1371 when King Wickramabahu III ascended the throne and kept court at Peradeniya near Mahaweli river. This was followed by King Kirti Sri and King Rajadhi Rajasinghe. A temple was built on this location by King Wimaladharma but it was destroyed by the British when they were given control over the Kandyan Kingdom. Thereafter, the ground work for a Botanical Garden was formed by Mr Alexandar Moon in 1821. Botanical Garden at Peradeniya was formally established and plants from Kew Garden at Slave island, Colombo and from the Kalutara Garden in Kalutara were moved up until 1843. The Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya was made more independent and expanded under Mr. George Gardner as its superintendent in 1844. The gardens came under the administration of the Department of Agriculture when it was established in 1912.
Following is a pictorial text of the beautiful Orchids at the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens at a recent visit to it.
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