Thursday, September 3, 2015

The temple of the Tooth is a UNESCO world heritage web site situated in Kandy, Sri Lanka. The monument is really a Buddhist worship spot which is also renowned as the temple of the sacred tooth. The legend connected with the temple is the holy tooth of Buddha that was secretly brought to Sri Lanka in 313 AD, hidden in the hair of Princess Hemamali who fled the Hindu armies besieging her father’s kingdom in India.

Temple of the sacred tooth - Image: Buddhika Ranchagoda
Temple of the sacred tooth – Image: Buddhika Ranchagoda

The visitors come to attend the rituals that are performed three times daily: at dawn, at noon and in the evenings. The temple is decorated with richly carved and embellished with inlaid woods, ivory, and lacquer. The relic of the tooth is kept in a two-story inner shrine fronted by two big elephant tusks. The tooth is preserved on a solid gold lotus flower, encased in jeweled caskets that sit on a throne.

Buddha Statue placed at the temple of the Tooth ( Image: LeszekZadlo )
Buddha Statue placed at the temple of the Tooth ( Image: LeszekZadlo )

The temple of the Tooth in Kandy, Sri Lanka is surrounded by an artificial lake which is identified as Kiri Muhuda and its holy water is believed to include healing powers and is distributed amongst these present.

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