Temple of the Tooth
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Sri Dalada Maligawa History.
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a world-renowned place of worship, where the left tooth of Gautama Buddha is enshrined. The temple which is venerated by thousands of local & foreign devotees and tourists daily was named as a world heritage by UNESCO in 1988.
The temple which carries a lot of value to Buddhists all over the world also has immense cultural value. The architecture is of unique Kandyan architectural style with a combination of the unique style used to build “Dalada Mandira” the shrines which housed the Sacred Tooth Relic previously in other kingdoms.
The temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is built in the city of Kandy near the ancient Royal Palace which is situated to the North of the temple and the forest reserve called “Udawaththa Kelaya” to the East. The famous Kandy Lake also known as “Kiri Muhuda” to the South and “Natha & Paththini Devala” on the West. The temple is adorned with intricate carvings using gold, silver, bronze and ivory.
The Sacred city of Kandy is the final location of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Gautama Buddha. The Sacred relic was brought to Sri Lanka by Princess Hemamala & Prince Dantha from the city of Kalinga in ancient India, during the reign of King Keerthi Sri Meghavarna (Kithsirimevan 301 -328). It became a symbol of Sri Lankan kings and was preciously guarded in a special shrine built within the precincts of the royal palace, wherever the capital was located. The ruins of such edifices remain in ancient capitals of Anuradapura, Pollonnaruwa, Dambadeniya, Yapahuwa, Kurunegala, Kotte and Gampola. While in Kandy the last Kingdom the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic continues to be the greatest shrine to receive the utmost veneration of the Buddhist world.
The first “Dalada Madura” in Kandy, which housed the Sacred Tooth Relic was built by King Wimaladharmasuriya the first during his reign from year 1592 – 1604. History reveals that this was destroyed by the Portuguese during their invasions. The second temple was built in the same location by King Rajasinghe the Second during his reign from 1635 – 1687, which was burnt by the Dutch. The Dalada history says in year 1687 King Wimaladharmasuriya the Second built a 3 storeyed Dalada Madura and performed Dalada rituals with great devotion but with time the building was decayed and destroyed. Later his son King Sri Veera Parakrama Narendrasinghe who reigned from 1707 – 1739 built the 2 storeyed Dalada Madura which one can see today. The South Indian Kings who ruled the country from Senkadagala renovated and protected the shrine which was built by King Narendrasinghe.
The temple was finely renovated and beautified by King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe to its present appearance. Paththirippuwa or the Octagonal Pavilion was constructed by King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe who reigned from year 1798 – 1815.
Protecting of the Sacred Tooth Relic and conducting religious rituals without a break is being carried out to the present day under the strict surveillance of the three chief custodians of the Tooth Relic, the most Venerable Mahanayake theros of Malwatta and Asgiriya chapters and the lay custodian, the Diyawadana Nilame.
Things To See In Temple Of The Tooth
The temple has great security so before you enter the temple, you have to go through a security check. After this, you should be ready to see some crowd here.
The temple is adorned with lots of details that will leave you fascinated by it. It is worth it to pay attention to the details as they hold a lot of significance. For example, you will see lots of historical items in the museum as you walk around. There are also Buddhist ritual implements.
Don’t forget to see the history of Buddha’s tooth which is depicted through 21 different paintings. There are also Buddha statues collected from around the world in the main hall. Also, pay attention to the Kadyan architectural style that is used at the foot of Maha Wahalkada steps to place the Moonstone here.
Best Time To Visit
If you would like to experience Pooja then it takes place in the morning and evening as a daily ceremony. But at these times, it is really crowded. If you want to avoid crowds then 9:30 AM would be the best time to visit.
Opening Time
The opening time of Sri Dalada Maligawa is between 5:30am to 8pm everyday. The International Buddhist Museum’s timings are between 8:00am to 7:00pm and the Temple of the Tooth Museum in New Palace’s timings are between 7:30am to 6:00pm.
The tooth sanctuary is the main visitors’ spot and it opens during these three times of the day:
5:30 – 6:45 am
9:30 – 11:00 am
6:30 – 8:00 pm
Entrance Fee
If you are a local visiting then there is good news, there will be no fee for you. But if you are not a local then 1000 Sri Lankan rupees is charged. This does not include the shoe storage which costs 50 rupees, photography for 300 rupees, etc. There are also tour guides whom you can tip. My suggested tip would be around 5-10 USD.
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