The Temple of the Tooth Relic was built adjoining the royal palace of the Kandyan kingdom after it received custody of the relic. It is a popular tourist destination and place of worship for Buddhists. It can be visited in just an hour or so from any hotel in Kandy.
History
The tooth was said to have been fished from the pyre in Kalinga, India and the King sent it to Sri Lanka in the 4th century through his children Prince Danta and Princess Hemamala. The tooth was received by the king of Anuradhapura and passed down from dynasty to dynasty across the ancient kingdoms. It was brought to the Kandyan kingdom in by King Vimaladharmasuriya .
Architecture
The temple belongs to the royal complex and is part of a massive structure that houses the octagon, a golden canopy, the main entrance and the moat, the new palace, the old palace, the national museum of Kandy and the concubines’ quarters.
Perahera
If you want to spend a holiday in Kandy staying at a hotel like Kings Pavilion, consider the month of August as that is when the Perahera begins. It is a 10-day festival of light and colour that celebrates Buddha’s conception, renunciation and first sermon. There is dancing, stilt-walkers, fire lights and brightly dressed elephants.
Roland Lefevre is a travel writer who specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe. Google+
