Temple of the Tooth - Sri Dalada Maligawa

Located in Kandy, long a center of the Buddhist faith, the stunning 17th-century Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) is believed to house the left upper canine tooth of the Lord Buddha himself. This precious relic attracts white-clad pilgrims, bearing lotus blossoms and frangipani, every day.

History

According to legend, the tooth was taken from the Buddha as he lay on his funeral pyre. It was smuggled to Sri Lanka in 313 AD, hidden in the hair of Princess Hemamali who fled the Hindu armies besieging her father's kingdom in India.

It immediately became an object of great reverence and was enshrined in a series of nested jeweled reliquaries. The tooth was brought out for special occasions and paraded on the backs of elephants, which are sacred to the Buddha. where it survived numerous attempts to capture and destroy it.

When the capital was moved to Kandy, the tooth was taken to the new city and placed in temples built to honor it. The temple was originally built under Kandyan kings between 1687 and 1707, but later severely damaged during the 18th-century colonial wars against the Portugese and Dutch. After the wars, the original wooden structures were restored in stone.

In January 1998 Hindu Tamil separatists bombed the temple, damaging its facade and roof. Restoration began immediately afterward.

What to See

On the outside, the temple buildings are not magnificent or elaborately decorated. White with red roofs, they cluster around Kandy Lake (the island in the middle once housed the king's harem).

In striking contrast to the plain exterior, the interiors of the temple buildings are richly carved and decorated with inlaid woods, ivory, and lacquer.

Around the entire complex is a low white stone wall, delicately and simply carved with openings that give a filigree effect. During celebrations, candles are placed in the openings, lighting up the entire front.

The relic of the tooth is kept in a two-story inner shrine fronted by two large elephant tusks. The relic rests on a solid gold lotus flower, encased in jeweled caskets that sit on a throne.

The temple is joined to the Pattiripuwa (Octagon) tower, built in 1803, that was originally a prison but now houses a collection of palm-leaf manuscripts. The king's palace is also in the temple compound.

Source :- View the site here






View Larger Map

Read More

The Temple of the Tooth

The  most  famous  attraction  in  Kandy  is  the  Temple  of  the  Tooth,  or  “Sri Dalada Maligawa”.  The Buddha’s Tooth was first brought to Kandy during the reign of Vimaladharmasuriya I at the turn of the 17th century.  He built a temple to house the relic but this was later destroyed.  It was taken away for safety during a Portuguese invasion of Kandy and eventually recovered during the rule of King Rajasinha II.

The present Temple of the Tooth was built in the early 18th century by King Vira  Narendra  Sinha,  and  later  extended  and  modified  by  subsequent kings.    Externally,  it  is  surrounded  by  a  moat  and  low  white  walls  with simple carvings.  Its distinctive Octagonal Tower, or “Pattiripuwa”, was built in 1803 and houses a collection of palm-leaf manuscripts.

The  Tooth  is  kept  in  a  two-story  shrine which  is  covered  with  a  golden canopy  and  fronted  by  a  set  of  huge  elephant  tusks.    There  is  also  a museum  where  many  Buddha  images  are  kept,  most  of  them  gifts  from different  countries.    Also displayed are paintings depicting the  various events in the history of the Tooth.

Thousands  of  devotees  and  visitors  throng  the  shrine  every day  to  pay respects  to  the  Tooth,  which  is  encased  within  a  set  of  seven  caskets made of gold and precious gems.  There is an air of great excitement and Anticipation among the crowd as the people await their turn to file past the Tooth.  There is usually not much more time than for a quick look as the attendants keep the crowd moving at a fast pace.

A  replica  of  the  Tooth,  together  with  its  ornate  and  beautiful  caskets,  is displayed  once  a  year  during  the  “Esala  Perahera”.    This is  the  island’s largest annual celebration, lasting for ten days, with colorful and elaborate parades  of  dancers,  drummers  and  elephants.    Around a million people attend this festival each year.  Due to security concerns, the actual Tooth is never brought out for the festival.

Read More