If there is one thing not to be missed in Kandy, it is for sure the Temple of the Tooth Relic or in more local other words "Sri Dalada Maligawa". Kandy, which used to be the former capital of Sri Lanka is now the home of the famous Buddah Tooth Relic. Mainly thanks to this temple, which is one of the most sacred buddhish temple, Kandy entered to the remarkable world of UNESCO.
The temple can be very easily reached, only few minutes walk from the city center and its train station. Before entering, make sure to have your knees and shoulders covered. Some temples are more flexible with men, but this is such a sacred place that men and women are treated the same way and have to be respectful.
The vist starts from the garden around the white architecture of the temple where you can buy your tickets. Prepare the exact change, 1500 rupies, as there is no ticket office. The entrances are delivered by vending machines that do not give back the extra money. After that, you will have to leave your shoes at a well organized counter and give few rupies as a donation.
Have a look to the beautiful paintings on the walls and the sculptures around the main first door.
First steps will guide you to the Pallemaluwa, where the Kings of Kandy used to have their court and where daily rituals now take place. Decoration seems to be very rich with carved exotic wood and ivory, but not too ostentatious as some temples in South-East Asia. The Tooth Relic is kept in what they call the cask room. Local people come here to do their spirituals rituals to honor the sacred tooth. Lines of floral offerings ornament the magical temple. This is quite weird to visit a temple like you would do exactly the same in any museum, alongside locals who come on a religious purpose. However, tourists are really welcome, these two worlds live in parallel with respect for each others.
Few steps away is a spectacular wealthy white and gold room with a golden Buddah and lots of ivory. However, the main interest of this room is to read the story boards on the walls to understand the whole story and legend of the tooth of Buddah. The story boards tell you how the tooth was transported from temples to temples before ending and being preserved in Kandy. The history starts from the day the tooth was found after Buddah's cremation until nowadays and the colonial period in Kandy, through all the different Kingdoms of Ceylan. Holding the tooth was a symbol of power and kings fighted to have it.
The visit continues with the beautiful gardens of the temple, starting with the Audience Hall where now take place special ceremonies.
The garden features also transparent rooms made with glass where locals come to pray, lighting on candles and incense. One of them is just in front of a church, quite surprising but a beautiful symbol of tolerance.
The garden gives you a nice view on the rest of the site, ouside of the surrounding wall of the temple, that is worths being explored afterwards. There are lots of little pagodas, other temples, and a Bodhi Tree where locals come to pray and to sing.
We noticed that locals were all wearing white closes. It seems people dress this way at full moon for ceremonies. We were at the Temple of the Tooth Relic only few days before the full moon and we observed this habit, certainly a way to get prepared for these ceremonies.
Lost of buddhist temples have there Bodhi Tree where people turn around to honor Buddha. The original Bodhi Tree was a large and very old Sacred Fig Tree where Buddah used to sat down for its shadow in his meditative position. Many temples had then planted their own Fig Tree for their spiritual rituals.
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