Kandy Commonwealth War Cemetery, Kandy - Timings, History, Best Time to Visit

At a distance of 5 km from Kandy Railway Station, the Commonwealth War Cemetery is a British military burial ground located in Deveni Rajasinghe Mawatha, Kandy. Also known as Kandy War Cemetery, it is one of the popular War Cemeteries in Sri Lanka and among the prime Kandy Tourist Places.

The Kandy War Cemetery was established for soldiers of the British Empire who were died during World War II as well as a soldier who died during World War I. This place was initially known as Pitakande Military Cemetery and was owned by the Military authorities until it was taken over by the War Commission. The Commonwealth War Cemetery is one of the most well maintained and visited war cemeteries of the world.

At this beautifully landscaped cemetery, one can see one Commonwealth burial from the World War I and a further 196 Commonwealth burials from the World War II. The cemetery also has four foreign national burials and two non-world war burials. Of the 203 dead, 151 were from the army, 32 were from the air force, 16 were from the navy, 2 were unidentified, 1 was from the merchant navy and 1 was from the national fire service. The garden where the tombstones were erected is well-manicured and beautifully maintained like a golf course. The names and the living years of those who buried were engraved on the tombstones.

Timings: 7 AM - 4 PM

Entry: Free