Temple Of The Tooth Relic (Kandy)

 

The city of Kandy is home to a dead center on a small island in the central highlands, Sri Lanka. The crown jewel of the city is the famous Temple of the Tooth, also known as the Tooth Relic. ‘Maligawa’ means palace and the temple is part of the palace complex. The whole complex is at least three centuries old and has seen the rise and fall of many kings. It has witnessed bloody wars and peaceful reigns and is one of the most historic historical sites on the island.

During his reign from 1592 to 1604, the first “Dalada Madura” was built in Kandy, where the sacred relics were housed for the first time. The second temple was built by King Rajasinghe II during his reign from 1635 to 1687 and was burnt down by the Dutch.

This temple was beautifully renovated and decorated by King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe. The "Pathirippuwa" or Octagonal Pavilion was built by King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe who ruled from 1798 to 1815.

To this day, the preservation of sacred relics and the conduct of religious rites without rest are carried out by the three main custodians of the Tooth Relic, the Most Venerable Mahanayaka theros of the Malwatta and Asgiriya Chapters, and the Lay Trustee Diyawadana Nilame.

Esala Perahera is a festival held in July to commemorate the concept, rejection and first discourse of the Supreme Buddha. The celebration is part of the social tradition of Sri Lanka and includes colorful parades with fun circuses featuring elephants, swordsmen, firefighters and stilt walkers.

The main attraction of the festival is the tooth relics that are brought from behind a decorated elephant for everyone to worship. The Tooth Relic and the Esala Perahera are part of the Sri Lankan tradition and  see for anyone visiting the country.