Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Kandy

Kandy, the last kingdom of Sri Lanka boasts a rich religious and cultural heritage. The ancient hill country is home to the most venerated and iconic Temple of The Sacred Tooth Relic widely known as Sri Dalada Maligawa. The rich cultural heritage of Kandy is woven around this historic site and its sacred relic. The Sri Dalada Maligawa is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is visited by Buddhist devotees from across the island who come to pay homage. Tourists visiting the country from around the world make their way to Sri Dalada Maligawa as it’s a must see attraction in Sri Lanka. There are many specially designed escorted tours Sri Lanka has to offer through local tour operators such as Sri Lanka Tailor-made to visit Kandy and see its culturally rich attractions. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is quite significant as it plays a pivotal role when it comes to local politics since the ancient times of kings. It is well known that anyone who holds the sacred relic holds governing authority of the island.

Daily worship is conducted inside the inner chamber of the Sri Dalada Maligawa by the main two Bhikku chapters, Malwatta and Asgiriya. Religious rituals are carried out three times a day and every Wednesday the relic is bathed with a scented herbal preparation using fragrant flowers in a ceremony called the Nanumura Mangallaya. The famous tourist attraction, the annual Kandy Perahera parades the streets of Kandy carrying the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha inside a casket on top of a specially chosen and anointed elephant. The Sacred Tooth Relic is only taken out from the inner chamber of the Sri Dalada Maligawa during the days of the Kandy Perahera for the purpose of public worship and admiration.

The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic was the creation of Kandyan King Vira Narendra Singha. The octagonal shaped architecturally brilliant Patthirippuwa and the moat were added later by King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe.