Sri Dalada Maligawa

My fascination for the Kandy Tooth Relic Temple or the Kandy Dalada Maligawa shrine started with the one painting that I saw in a palatial temple called Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara, located about 11 kms from the Srilankan capital, Colombo. Kelaniya Temple is a magnificent Buddhist temple filled with large murals and sculptures and it is of spiritual significance to both Hindus and Buddhists. However, the temple was once a palace and it also marked the culmination of Lord Rama’s tryst with Lanka. It was believed to be a palace handed over to Vibeeshana, Ravana’s brother after the war and  it forms a part of the Ramayana Trail of Srilanka.

However, the local Buddhists believe that Buddha preached to his disciples when he visited the island after gaining enlightenment. There is a gem-studded throne enshrined in the temple and it is believed that Buddha sat on the throne when he gave his Dharma sermons. The temple which was later controlled by the colonial powers was rebuilt about a century ago.

The sculptures and murals here celebrate Buddha’s life and it was believed to be painted by local artist, Solias Mendis. While there are several paintings, a few of them were iconic. One of them depicted the arrival of Samrat Ashoka’s daughter Sangamitra landing on the island with a sapling of the Bodhi tree. Another painting showcased the journey of Buddha’s sacred tooth relic from India to Srilanka.

Princess Hemmamali was apparently the daughter of King Guhasiva of Kalinga and Prince Danta was the son of King Udeni who came to Kalinga to worship the sacred relic which was guarded by the Kalinga rulers. They later get married and the Princess hides the tooth relic in her hair as she entered Srilanka in the 3rd century, They later handed it over to the king Sirimeghavanna of Anuradhapura who enshrined the relic in his capital, before the relic was eventually found a sacred home at Kandy.  It was an inexplicable feeling, being at the Kandy Tooth Relic Temple or the Kandy Dalada Maligawa as it’s called, and later as we watched the colourful and dramatic pageant of the Kandy Esala Perahera, we were virtually overwhelmed.

We landed in Kandy town just as the festivities were beginning and the city was all dressed up in vivid shades. We were staying at the Mahaweli Reach hotel, by the banks of the Mahaweli River and the entire town had a vibrant vibe as well. Kandy is synonymous with the Temple of the Tooth Relic, also referred to as the Shri Dalada Maligawa and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best places to visit in Kandy. The temple is a part of the royal complex as the kings were the guardians of the sacred relic, which is the left canine tooth of Buddha

Historically, Kandy, earlier known as Senkadagala or Senkadagalapura and was founded in the mid-14th century and lasted for 450  years until the 19th century. The kingdom of Kandy as it was referred to was ruled by different kings and dynasties until it eventually became a part of the various colonial powers – Portuguese, Dutch, and eventually the British. The town, which was once referred to as Maha Nuwara or the Capital, referring to it being the last capital city of the monarchy and hence the royal complex with the temple is one of the best places to visit in Kandy.

While the Portuguese referred to it as Candea, the name Kandy was an Anglicised version of the original word,  Kanda Uda Rata, or the land on the mountain.  While the Sinhala rulers safeguarded the relic while ruling from Kandy, the town was briefly under the control of the Nayakkars from Madurai in South India. It is believed that the Kandy Tooth Relic temple was rebuilt around four times and further restored and reconstructed even after the civil wars.

It was a mystical feeling being at the Kandy Tooth Relic Temple in the wee hours of the morning, for the dawn ritual. The divine energy was everywhere. The music echoed from the shrine. The sky was dark but the entire atmosphere was lit adding to the dramatic setting.