History.
The left tooth of Gautama Buddha is housed in the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, a revered site of worship with international recognition. The temple was designated a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1988, and hundreds of local and foreign tourists and devotees visit it every day.
The temple has great cultural significance and holds great significance for Buddhists worldwide. The architecture combines elements of the distinctive Kandyan architectural style with the style utilized to construct the shrines known as "Dalada Mandira," which once held the Sacred Tooth Relic in other kingdoms.
The Sacred Tooth Relic temple is located in Kandy, close to the historic Royal Palace to the north of the temple and the "Udawaththa Kelaya" forest reserve to the east. Kiri Muhuda, to the south, and Natha & Paththini Devala, to the west, are other names for the well-known Kandy Lake. Intricate carvings made of gold, silver, bronze, and ivory embellish the temple.
The Gautama Buddha Sacred Tooth Relic is finally found in the sacred city of Kandy. During the reign of King Keerthi Sri Meghavarna (Kithsirimevan 301–328), Princess Hemamala and Prince Dantha carried the sacred relic to Sri Lanka from the ancient Indian city of Kalinga. Regardless matter where the capital was located, it became a symbol of Sri Lankan kings and was reverently protected in a unique shrine constructed inside the royal palace's grounds. The ancient capitals of Anuradapura, Pollonnaruwa, Dambadeniya, Yapahuwa, Kurunegala, Kotte, and Gampola still have the remnants of these structures. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, located in Kandy, the last kingdom, is still the most revered shrine in the Buddhist world.
King Wimaladharmasuriya constructed the first "Dalada Madura" at Kandy, which held the Sacred Tooth Relic, between 1592 and 1604. According to history, the Portuguese destroyed this during their invasions. During his rule from 1635 to 1687, King Rajasinghe the Second constructed a second temple in the same spot, which the Dutch destroyed by fire. According to Dalada history, King Wimaladharmasuriya the Second constructed a three-story Dalada Madura in 1687 and conducted fervent Dalada ceremonies there. However, with time, the structure deteriorated and was demolished. The two-story Dalada Madura that is seen today was later constructed by his son, King Sri Veera Parakrama Narendrasinghe, who ruled from 1707 to 1739. The shrine, constructed by King Narendrasinghe, was restored and safeguarded by the South Indian monarchs who controlled the nation from Senkadagala.
King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe meticulously restored and embellished the temple to its current state. The Octagonal Pavilion, also known as Paththirippuwa, was built by King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe, who ruled from 1798.
The three main guardians of the Tooth Relic—the lay guardian, the Diyawadana Nilame; the most venerated Mahanayake theros of the Malwatta and Asgiriya chapters—strictly supervise the protection of the Sacred Tooth Relic and the uninterrupted performance of religious rites.
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