Dalada Maligava

temple, Kandy, Sri Lanka

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June 25, 2026

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The Temple of the Tooth, also known as Sri Dalada Maligawa, is Sri Lanka's most important Buddhist shrine, located within the royal palace complex in Kandy. It is believed to house a tooth of the Buddha, making it a significant pilgrimage site for Buddhists worldwide.

Legend states that the sacred tooth relic was brought to Sri Lanka in the 4th century. For centuries, possession of the relic was considered to grant the divine right to rule. The tooth is housed in a two-story inner shrine, presented on a golden lotus within jeweled caskets, and is rarely displayed publicly. The temple complex also includes the Sri Dalada Museum and an octagonal tower containing ancient Buddhist manuscripts. The annual Esala Perahera festival commemorates the sacred tooth with a grand procession.1

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relic
…canine tooth, honored at the Temple of the Tooth at Kandy, Sri Lanka. Other shrines reportedly have housed certain personal possessions of the Buddha, such as his staff or alms bowl. The alms bowl (patra), particularly, is associated with a romantic tradition of wanderings and, in different historical periods, has…
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…canine tooth, honored at the Temple of the Tooth at Kandy, Sri Lanka. Other shrines reportedly have housed certain personal possessions of the Buddha, such as his staff or alms bowl. The alms bowl (patra), particularly, is associated with a romantic tradition of wanderings and, in different historical periods, has…
Read More

Kandy
…its many Buddhist temples is Sri Dalada Maligava (“Temple of the Tooth”), where a sacred relic, supposed to be the left upper canine of the Buddha, has been preserved since 1590. The temple was constructed under Kandyan kings during the periods 1687–1707 and 1747–82. It is joined to a tower…
Read More
…its many Buddhist temples is Sri Dalada Maligava (“Temple of the Tooth”), where a sacred relic, supposed to be the left upper canine of the Buddha, has been preserved since 1590. The temple was constructed under Kandyan kings during the periods 1687–1707 and 1747–82. It is joined to a tower…
Read More