The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic

The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is the most important Buddhist pilgrimage site in Sri Lanka. It is of high significance for the Sinhalese culture and the state of Sri Lanka. Till the present day, newly elected presidents of Sri Lanka visit the Tooth Temple immediately after their inauguration ceremony in Colombo. Representants of the state also take part in religious ceremonies at this edifice, for instance when new high priests of the two Kandyan orders Malwatta and Asgiriya are installed, both of whom share the power of the keys to the Tooth Relic. The Tooth temple in Kandy has been intimately connected to political power since the 16th century, particularly during the era of the Kandy Kings. The Tooth Temple formed a part of the king’s palace compound. In contrast to most other Buddhist sanctuaries in Sri Lanka, the Temple of the Tooth Relic has not been a part of a Buddhist monastery. Within the precincts of the royal palace, the Sacred Tooth was considered to be the palladium of the kingdom. As such, it was under the shared control of religious and secular dignitaries as well as under divine protection, the king serving as its safe keeper and the deities of the adjacent shrines being its heavenly guardians.

Not much remained of the Royal Palace, which was damaged during wars with the British. The only surviving wing of the former palace now houses the Archaeological Museum of Kandy, not to be confused with the National Museum and International Buddhist Museum, which are both behind the Tooth Relic Temple.

Even during the colonial wars, the Tooth Temple remained untouched. Most of the temple edifices are from the late Kandy period, erected about 1800 or even later. Only the core