A relic tied to kingship
The Sri Dalada Maligawa, usually called the Temple of the Tooth, stands beside a lake in the centre of Kandy in Sri Lanka’s central hills. It houses what Sri Lankan Buddhists revere as a tooth relic of the Buddha. Veneration of the relic is central to the temple, and the city of Kandy takes much of its identity from it. The sacred city of Kandy is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Whether a relic can be historically verified is not a question the temple’s devotees ask. For them it is a sacred object with a long continuous history of care. For readers, it helps to separate two things: what tradition says about the relic’s origin, and what the historical record shows about the kings who kept and honoured it.
The tradition of the relic
According to Sri Lankan tradition, after the Buddha’s cremation a tooth was saved and kept in the Kalinga region of eastern India. Centuries later, during a time of conflict there, the relic is said to have been smuggled to Sri Lanka, hidden in the hair of a princess, Hemamala, who travelled with her husband Prince Dantha. Tradition places the arrival during the reign of King Kirti Sri Meghavanna, in the fourth century CE, and the account is recorded in chronicles of the island. Details differ between versions.
From then on, the relic was housed near the royal palace in whichever city served as capital, and it travelled with the court as the capital moved, including to places such as Polonnaruwa and several later cities. Possession of the relic came to be seen as a mark of legitimate rule, which is why rulers built shrines for it and why it became an object of rivalry and care. After the capital moved to Kandy in the late sixteenth century, the relic was housed there, and the temple complex grew over the following centuries.
The temple today
The present buildings reflect many periods. The inner shrine is surrounded by a moat and walls, and an octagonal pavilion, the Pattirippuwa, was added in the early nineteenth century in the late Kandyan period. The golden roof above the main chamber is a notable feature. The temple was damaged in a bomb attack in 1998 and subsequently repaired.
The relic itself is kept in a series of nested caskets in an inner chamber and is not normally on view. Visitors usually see the casket from the viewing area, not the relic itself. The temple holds rituals, usually described as taking place three times a day, in which drummers play, offerings are made and the inner door is opened for worshippers to approach. Exact times and arrangements change, so please check the current schedule from official sources. A lay custodian, the Diyawadana Nilame, is responsible for the relic’s care and for the annual Esala Perahera procession, in which a casket is carried through the streets.
The temple also holds a museum and shrine buildings associated with other institutions, including the two Buddhist monastic chapters of Kandy, the Malwatte and Asgiriya, whose senior monks play a role in ceremonies.
Role in Sri Lankan Buddhism
For many Sri Lankans, the temple is both a national and a personal pilgrimage place. Families come to offer flowers, to ask for blessings or to mark events in their lives, and the Tooth Relic is regularly invoked at moments of national importance. Because the temple is closely linked with the state in the island’s history and politics, it is also a place of heightened security. That history is part of the broader pattern of relic veneration seen across the Buddhist world and the reliquary traditions that developed around the Buddha’s remains.
The relic is honoured within Theravada practice as a focus for reflection on the Buddha. Devotees typically see offering flowers to the relic’s chamber as a way of paying respect to the teacher, not as worship of an object for its own sake. Opinions on this differ among people, as in any tradition.
Visiting with respect
- Dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered. White or light clothing is common among worshippers, and shorts, sleeveless tops and hats are widely considered inappropriate.
- Remove shoes and head coverings before entering the temple complex. Where you leave your shoes is usually signposted.
- Expect security checks, queues and crowds, particularly on full moon days and during the festival season. Do not push, and keep your voice down.
- Offerings of flowers are sold outside. Place them where indicated, and do not touch the caskets or objects.
- Ask before photographing worshippers, and note that photography is restricted in some areas. Never turn your back to an image to take a photo.
Checking current access
Access arrangements at the temple, including entry procedures, opening hours, ticketing, closures and the times when the inner chamber is open, can change. Large events, security situations or maintenance can alter them at short notice. Consult the temple’s official channels or a recent official source and your government’s travel advice before you go. This article gives general information only.