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Maha Maluwa (Great Terrace) – steeped in history and legend  By Arundathie Abeysinghe   Maha Maluwa (Great Terrace) is an open park area located in front of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Dalada Maligawa) in Kandy, the most venerated Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka visited by hundreds of pilgrims as well as local and foreign tourists daily.   Maha Maluwa is steeped in history and legend. Initially, Maha Maluwa was the threshing ground of a large paddy field (this paddy field was later converted as the Kandy Lake). According to folklore, when King Wimala Dharmasuriya I (reign 1592 – 1604) consulted astrologers to select a site for his capital, they advised him to select this threshing floor which was frequented by a Kiri Mugatiya (white mongoose – Ichneumia albicauda) as the site was considered a very auspicious place. During the Kandyan Kingdom, many historical and religious events have taken place at Maha Maluwa. ...