Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy (Dalada Maligawa)

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An artists impression of Dalada Maligawa from 'An Account of the Interior of Ceylon' by John Davy published in 1821 — An artists impression of Dalada Maligawa from ‘An Account of the Interior of Ceylon’ by John Davy published in 1821

The Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy is regarded as one of the two most sacred pilgrimage sites for Buddhists worldwide. The other is also in Sri Lanka—the Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura, the only living sapling of the original Bodhi tree under which the Buddha attained Enlightenment in India.

Since the arrival of the Tooth Relic on the island in 312 CE, its guardianship has been inseparably linked with sovereignty. Possession of the Relic came to symbolize the divine right to rule the country. Successive monarchs, in close association with the Buddhist clergy, protected and preserved it as the very foundation of their political legitimacy.

Kandy had served as the capital of the Sinhalese kings from 1592 until 1815, its mountainous stronghold providing natural protection for centuries against incursions by the Portuguese, Dutch, and British. Today, the city is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, largely due to the presence of the Temple of the Tooth Relic, whose enduring sanctity continues to attract pilgrims and visitors from around the world.

When the Kandyan Kingdom fell to the British in 1815, the Relic was, as in earlier periods of crisis, secretly removed from the Dalada Maligawa by Buddhist monks to protect it from foreign control. However, its hiding place was betrayed by rival chiefs seeking favor with the new rulers. As a result, the British discovered the concealed Relic. In an effort to secure the support of the Sinhalese people, they restored it to the Dalada Maligawa and ordered that traditional Buddhist rites continue, though under British supervision, thereby lending a degree of legitimacy to their rule.

Open Days

Description	Details
Open Days	Eveyday
Monday – Sunday	5.30 AM – 8.00 PM

Temple of Tooth Relic in Kandy—Ticket Prices / Entrance Fees

Description	Cost per Head
Foreign – Adult	LKR 2,000
Foreign – Children (3-12 Years)	LKR 1,000
Foreign (SAARC + Thailand + Myanmar) – Adult	LKR 1,500
Foreign (SAARC + Thailand + Myanmar) – Children (3-12 Years)	LKR 750
Local (All)	Free

Visitor Information

As a visitor or a devotee of Buddha, due respect should be given when entering this site. Due to its importance and the influx of visitors, the temple authorities have imposed some dress codes which you must comply with.

Essential Dress Code – All men and women must wear long trousers or skirts that cover their legs. If you come in a short skirt or trousers, a sarong will be loaned to you to be worn during the visit.
As in all Buddhist shrines, footwear and headwear should be removed before entering. There is a shoe room where you could leave the footwear safely at no cost – a small donation is appropriate.
Light-colored clothing is more suitable—preferably white or cream-colored.
Wear clothes that do not expose the body excessively (e.g., too much of cleavage/shoulders / back )
Respect the worshipers—don’t talk loud.

Photography is allowed within the temple complex, provided it is done respectfully and does not disturb worshippers or interrupt the daily poojas conducted for the Relic.

History of the Temple of Tooth Relic in Kandy

When King Wimaladharmasuriya I (1592-1604) chose Kandy as the royal capital, he built the first two-storied temple to enshrine the Sacred Tooth Relic. At that time, the relic was brought from Delgamuwa Rajamaha Viharaya near Kuruwita in Sabaragamuwa, where it had been hidden for protection.

Later, King Wimaladharmasuriya II (1687-1707) constructed a three-storied temple, and his son, King Weeraparakrama Narendrasinha (1707–1739)—the last Sinhalese monarch—replaced it with a new two-storied structure when the earlier building had decayed. The last king of Sri Lanka, Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe (1798–1814), added the Pattirippuwa (Octagon). Originally part of the royal palace, this elegant pavilion was used by the king to address his subjects. Today, it forms part of the temple complex and houses a treasured collection of ancient ola-leaf manuscripts.

The approach to the temple is through the Maha Vahalkada, or main gateway. Flanking it are two distinctive walls: the outer Walakulu Bamma (wall of clouds), also seen around Kandy Lake, and the inner Diyareli Bamma (wall of water ripples). Both walls are designed with niches to hold oil lamps, which were used to illuminate the temple at night.

Beyond the gateway and moat stands the ornate Makara Thorana (Dragon Arch), leading into the ambarawa tunnel and then to the ground floor of the temple, known as the palle maluwa. This inner sanctum is heavily fortified, with a massive wooden door decorated in bronze and ivory. In front of it lies the Hevisi Mandapaya (Drummers’ Courtyard), where daily rituals and offerings are performed.

The Sacred Tooth Relic itself is enshrined upstairs, in the chamber known as the Vadahitina Maligawa. Its doorway is richly adorned with gold, silver, and ivory, while the relic is safeguarded within seven nested gold caskets studded with precious gems. The outermost casket is adorned with jewels donated by kings and rulers over centuries.

Temple of the Tooth Relic - Dalada Maligawa - Dalada Maligaya(Dalada Maligawa)

The Perahara Karanduwa and the Golden Lotus

On the right side of the relic chamber stands the Perahara Karanduwa—the casket used to carry the Sacred Tooth Relic during the annual Esala Perahera procession. It is preserved within a bulletproof glass display, gifted by India. Suspended from the ceiling above it is a golden lotus flower, adorned with precious stones, symbolizing purity and divine offering.

John Davy’s Account of the Relic (1817)

John Davy's sketch of the tooth relic (1817) — John Davy’s sketch of the tooth relic (1817)

One of the very few outsiders to have seen the Tooth Relic itself was John Davy, an Englishman who visited Ceylon in 1817. He later described it in his book An Account of the Interior of Ceylon (1821). According to Davy, the relic was encased in a series of five golden karanduwa (caskets).

First, it was wrapped in a sheet of pure gold and placed inside a gem-studded case set with emeralds, diamonds, and rubies, perfectly shaped to hold it. This was enclosed within four additional caskets, each progressively larger and richly decorated with jewels. The fourth, about one and a half feet high, was housed within the great outer casket. Davy noted that the relic itself appeared yellowish, with a brownish hue at its truncated base.

The Maligawa Tusker – Raja

To the left of the temple stands a more recent addition—a building dedicated to the taxidermised remains of the famed Maligawa Tusker, Raja. Captured in the jungles of Eravur in the Batticaloa District in 1925, Raja was purchased in 1937 by Tikiri Banda Manampitiya Dissawe for Rs. 3,300 and donated to the temple. For over fifty years, Raja carried the golden casket containing the Sacred Tooth Relic during the Esala Perahera, becoming a revered symbol of devotion.

In 1984, Raja was declared a National Treasure by the Government of Sri Lanka, becoming only the second tusker in history to receive this distinction. Raja passed away in 1988 after a prolonged illness, and it was decided to preserve him through taxidermy—the first time such an honor was accorded to a tusker in Sri Lanka.

The Kandy National Museum

Next to the temple lies the Kandy National Museum, which once served as the residence of the Kandyan kings’ concubines. Today it houses a rich collection of royal artifacts, including thrones, scepters, ceremonial swords, and regalia from the 17th and 18th centuries—the final centuries of the Kandyan Kingdom.

It was within these walls that the Kandyan chiefs formally surrendered to the British in 1815. Having invited them to depose the controversial King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe, the chiefs expected the British to leave once the task was complete. Instead, they soon realized that the new rulers intended to remain.

The museum is open from Saturday to Thursday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

LTTE Terrorist Attack on the Temple in 1998

destruction in front of maha vahalkada - the main entrance

The sanctity of the temple was gravely tested on 25 January 1998, when it was targeted by a devastating truck bomb attack carried out by the LTTE terrorists. The explosion claimed the lives of eight people, including an infant, and injured fifteen more.

This was perhaps the first time in modern history that a terrorist group deliberately sought to destroy a site of such immense religious and cultural significance, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The blast caused extensive damage to the Sri Dalada Maligawa, yet the Sacred Tooth Relic—enshrined deep within the inner sanctum—miraculously remained unharmed. Nearby shrines dedicated to Vishnu, Natha, and Pattini, along with St. Paul’s Church in the Sacred and Royal Square, were also badly damaged in the attack.

Also See

The history of the Sri Daladawa (sacred Tooth Relic)
Odyssey of the ‘Danta Dhatu’
The origin of the Sri Dalada Perahera tradition
Sri Dalada Perahera (Kandy Esala Perahara)
Kandy – The Last Kingdom of Sinhale

Map of the Dalada Maligawa

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Driving Directions to Dalada Maligawa

Kandy can be reached from Colombo via the old Colombo-Kandy road (option 1), which is scenic but heavily congested, especially on Fridays and Sundays. However, the new Central Expressway (option 2) has opened up a new route, which is longer but less cumbersome.

Route 1 from Colombo to Kandy	Route 2 from Colombo to Kandy
Through: Walapane – Raja Mawatha Distance: 100 km Travel Time: 3.0 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.	Through: Warakapola – Kegalle – Kadugannawa Distance: 121 km Travel Time: 4.15 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.
Route From Nuwara Eliya to Kandy
Through : Walapane – Raja Mawatha Distance: 100 km Travel Time: 3.0 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.