The Royal Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya

The royal botanical garden of Peradeniya is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Asia. Across a land span of 147 acres, housing more than 4000 species of plants, including its renowned collection of orchids, spices, medicinal plants and palm trees, the garden attracts more than 2 million visitors annually. The park centers around an old giant Javan fig tree in the middle of a circular grass pitch. Around it there are avenues in the river drive such as Cook’s Pine Avenue, Palmyra Palm Avenue, Double Coconut Avenue, Cabbage Avenue, and Royal Palm Avenue. The Cannonball Tree planted by King George V of the United Kingdom and Queen Mary in 1901 AD is a significant addition to the garden. The origins of the gardens predates to when King Wickramabahu the 3rd (1357–1374 AD) ascended the throne and kept court at Peradeniya beside the Mahaweli River. Under the British rule the foundation for a botanical garden was fashioned by Alexandar Moon in 1821. During the 2nd World War, the garden was used by Lord Louis Mountbatten, the supreme commander of the joined forces in the South Asia, as the headquarters of the South East Asia Command. Today the botanical gardens have become an attraction to those who treasure the peacefulness resonating through the evergreen scenery.