Temple of the Tooth: 15 Fascinating Facts (Sri Lanka) | YouMe

15 Fascinating Facts About Temple of the Tooth

The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa) in Kandy, Sri Lanka, is one of the most revered Buddhist shrines in the world. It houses what is believed to be the left upper canine tooth of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, and has been the most sacred Buddhist relic in Sri Lanka for over 1,600 years. According to historical accounts, the tooth was smuggled out of India in the hair of a princess during the 4th century CE and brought to Sri Lanka. Over the centuries, successive Sri Lankan monarchs enshrined the relic in purpose-built temples, with the current complex in Kandy developing primarily from the 16th century onward. The temple is a part of the royal palace complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy and was constructed and expanded over several centuries. The innermost relic chamber (Maligawa) is housed within a two-storey golden structure; the relic itself is sealed within seven concentric caskets of decreasing size, each made from precious materials including gold, silver, and gems. Daily puja (worship) ceremonies are held three times a day: at dawn (Thevava), midday (Nanumura Mangallaya), and dusk (Thevava), when the outer caskets are opened to allow devotees to venerate the shrine. The annual Esala Perahera festival — held in July/August over ten nights — is one of the most spectacular Buddhist festivals on earth, involving over 100 costumed elephants, thousands of dancers, fire breathers, and whip-crackers parading through Kandy's streets. The temple is located beside the Kandy Lake within the UNESCO-inscribed Sacred City of Kandy. Beyond the headline statistics, Temple of the Tooth in Sri Lanka contains layers of remarkable details that most visitors never learn. Here are 15 facts that will change how you experience this extraordinary heritage site.

1. Construction Timeline: The site was built between 16th century — a feat of sustained human endeavor spanning generations in many cases.
2. Scale & Size: The dimensions of Temple of the Tooth are consistently larger than most visitors expect, with areas of the site that remain unexplored even by regular visitors.
3. UNESCO Recognition: UNESCO World Heritage Site (Sacred City of Kandy, ID 450, inscribed 1988). Houses the Tooth Relic of the Buddha (Sri Lanka's most sacred Buddhist relic), revered for over 1,600 years. Whoever holds the relic is traditionally believed to hold sovereignty over Sri Lanka — it has influenced Sri Lankan political history for centuries. Hosts the Esala Perahera, one of Asia's grandest Buddhist festivals. Receives approximately 2 million visitors per year.
4. Visitor Numbers: Temple of the Tooth attracts millions of visitors annually, making it one of the most-visited heritage sites in Sri Lanka — and increasingly, in its global category.