The Temple of the Tooth or better known as the Dalada Maligawa is situated in the World Heritage city of Kandy. Well known for its rich cultural history, this Buddhist temple is not only significant to the locals but is also a popular attraction for the tourist. Surrounded by the central hills and overlooking the Kandy lake the temple is situated within the ancient palace premises.
Listed as one of the must visit sites in many Sri Lankan holiday packages, One cannot miss this when visiting the island. Renowned for its cultural, historic and architectural significance one cannot miss this. Sunshine Travels and Tours is widely suggested and recommended for booking tours of such natures as they offer packages that provide a tour around this majestic temple.
The history of the Sri Dalada Maligawa can be traced back to 1595, and the credit for its construction goes to the reigning at the time king of Kandy Sri Wickramarajasinghe I. The temple gains its significance for being the home to one of the four Sacred Tooth Relics of Lord Buddha, considered to be one of great veneration among the Buddhist. The Tooth Relic present at Dalada Maligawa was brought to Sri Lanka from Kalinga, India. To safeguard it from a neighbouring kingdom’s invasion at the time. At the time of its arrival Buddhism was widely spreading in Sri Lanka and the Tooth Relic has always played an important role in the governance of the country. Safe guarding the Tooth Relic was considered the duty of the reigning king.
The temple is a great example of the Kandyan architecture. The grand entrance has Moon stone at its foot and the moat is surrounded by a brick wall. The roofs and the inner chambers are all great works of architecture. An excellent time to visit the temple would be during the Esala Perahera, which takes place for ten days is one of the most spectacular events in the Sri Lankan calendar. The tooth relic is taken around the city on grandly dressed elephant backs with fire dancers and drums.
Intrigued by history, art and food, Shazzana Hamid is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary. Disguised as Lavinia Woolf she writes of the exhilarating and enchanting.
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