Vibhishana was a king who ruled what is part of Sri Lanka today and is also written about in the historical epic Ramayana. He was the younger brother of the Rakshasa (demon) king Ravana of Lanka. Though a Rakshasa himself, Vibhishana was of a noble character and advised Ravana, who kidnapped and abducted Sita, to return her to her husband Rama in an orderly fashion and promptly. When his brother did not listen to his advice, Vibhishana joined Rama's army. Later, when Rama defeated Ravana, Rama crowned Vibhishana as the king of Lanka.

The Lankatilaka Temple was first constructed c. 1344 during the reign of King Buwanekabahu IV (r. 1344 - 1354).

Kandy is Sri Lanka's second biggest city with a population of around 170,000 and is the cultural centre of the whole island. For about two centuries (until 1815) it was the capital of Sri Lanka.