Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth) - Kandy, SriLanka

nishadi89 (72)in #steem-atlas • 29 days ago (edited)

Greetings everyone,

I hope you are all well. Today I am going to share with you another beautiful sacred religious place in Sri Lanka. That is the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy. In the article I posted about the Sri Padasthan three days ago, I mentioned that my family went on a 3-day pilgrimage. So on the second day, we went to worship the Temple of the Tooth. So in this article, I will share with you some beautiful pictures and some details of the Temple of the Tooth.

What is the Temple of the Tooth?

The Temple of the Tooth is one of the most important religious sites in Sri Lanka and is located in Kandy. This temple is a very special place for Buddhists. It is the place where the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha, is enshrined. The tooth relic of the Buddha is kept in a golden casket inside the temple and is only displayed to the public on special occasions. The Temple of the Tooth is an important religious site not only for Buddhists living in Sri Lanka but also for all Buddhists living around the world.

(The main gate to enter the Temple of the Tooth.)

(The path leading to the Temple of the Tooth after entering through the main gate)

So, Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike come to worship the Temple of the Tooth in large numbers. No matter what day you go to visit the Temple of the Tooth, there is no shortage of people there. Every day, local and foreign tourists come in droves to visit the Temple of the Tooth. We also go to worship the "Temple of the Tooth" in Kandy once a year.

(The row of shops selling flowers, lamps and incense near the Temple of the Tooth.)

(The first entrance where women and men are checked before entering the Temple of the Tooth.)

The Temple of the Tooth Relic has also been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The history associated with the Temple of the Tooth

History states that in the 4th century AD, Princess Hemamala and Prince Dantha of India brought the Tooth Relic from that country to Sri Lanka and first brought it to Anuradhapura, the capital of Sri Lanka at that time, and then enshrined it in the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy.

(The painting of Princess Hemamala and Prince Dantha inside the Temple of the Tooth)

Since ancient times, the people of Sri Lanka have accepted that the king of the country should have the custody of the Tooth Relic and the Bowl Relic. That is, in order to be king, he must have the right to the Tooth Relic. For this reason, all the kings who have ruled in our country since then have taken the blessings of the Tooth Relic before becoming king and have practiced keeping the Tooth Relic in their possession and performing pujas. For this reason, the kings of the past protected the Tooth Relic and the Bowl Relic with their lives. Even today, to become the president of our country, he or she must be a Buddhist and it is mandatory to obtain the blessings of the Tooth Relic.

(A few scenes from inside the Temple of the Tooth Relic.)

In the past, foreign invaders who ruled Sri Lanka have also abducted the Tooth Relic and forcibly retained it in their possession in order to retain control of our country. Since ancient times, the person who possesses the Tooth Relic is considered worthy of reigning, so the invaders have also taken steps to possess the Tooth Relic first.

(The main entrance to the upper floor where the Tooth Relic is located.)

(The place where the Tooth Relic resides is upstairs)

Rules to be followed when entering the Temple of the Tooth

Unlike other religious places of worship, there are specific rules that people must follow when entering the Temple of the Tooth. These rules are:

• Women are prohibited from wearing sleeveless or short-sleeved blouses or dresses, and if they do, they must wear a shawl to cover their upper body.

• Women are also prohibited from wearing clothing above the knee and are advised to wear a long, white, modest dress.

• Men are also prohibited from wearing shorts that are above the knee or pants with patches.

( These pictures show me, my boyfriend, and my brothers and sister visiting the Temple of the Tooth. )

• It is prohibited to bring in waste such as polythene. In several places, women and men are screened separately.

• Taking photographs is prohibited in some areas of the Temple of the Tooth Relic. Everyone should behave in a very respectful manner.

For these reasons, some foreign women who come to worship the Temple of the Tooth wear sarees to worship the Temple of the Tooth. In fact, it is not like us wearing sarees, foreigners wearing sarees are very beautiful. Especially the chinese and korean come to worship the Temple of the Tooth dressed in sarees.

Religious rituals associated with the Temple of the Tooth

The temple is in charge of the "Malwathu and Asgiri" sect of the Siam Nikaya. These monks perform pujas to the Tooth Relic every day. This puja is held three times a day, i.e. in the morning, afternoon and evening. In addition, the Nanumura Mangalya is held as a special puja on Wednesdays. Here, the Tooth Relic is symbolically bathed in fragrant medicinal water. In addition to these pujas, people who go to the temple to worship also offer flowers, lamps, incense, and pirikara to the Tooth Relic. The President of the country and other ministers also perform various pujas to the Tooth Relic.

The Kandy Dalada Perahera, which is held at the Temple of the Tooth, is held every year in the month of Esala and is the main and most famous cultural procession in Sri Lanka. During this procession, the Tooth Relic is carried by a special elephant, which is a very sacred elephant.

The surroundings of the Temple of the Tooth

(This picture shows the lamppost for lighting the lamps at the Temple of the Tooth Relic.)

(This is the building known as the Magul Mandapa, located near the Temple of the Tooth Relic. It was used by kings in the past to hold various weddings and special events.)

(The two pictures above show the Bogambara Lake near the Temple of the Tooth. There are several historical events associated with this lake.)

(This picture shows the road separating Bogambara Lake and the Temple of the Tooth.)

The museum at the Temple of the Tooth Relic

The Raja Elephant Museum at the Temple of the Tooth is a museum that has attracted many tourists. The picture above shows a picture of Raja Etha, who died in 1988. He has carried the casket that carried the Tooth Relic during the Dalada Perahera at the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy for many years.

This elephant was born in India and was imported to Sri Lanka specifically for the Dalada Perahera. This elephant king was blessed and fortunate to carry the sacred Tooth Relic on his head for many years.

Throughout this museum, there are many pictures related to the life of Raja elephant and the things he did during his lifetime can be seen in those pictures. Here is the actual body of Raja elephant, which has been scientifically edited. Raja elephant is a blessed elephant. He was fortunate enough to hold the tooth relic of Lord Buddha.