Sri Dalada Maligawa or the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the Royal Palace complex which houses the relic of the tooth of Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings and is a UNESCO world heritage site partly due to the temple.

Monks of the two chapters of Malwatte and Asgiriya conduct daily worship in the inner chamber of the temple. Rituals are performed three times daily: at dawn, at noon and in the evenings. On Wednesdays there is a symbolic bathing of the Sacred Relic with an herbal preparation made from scented water and fragrant flowers, called Nanumura Mangallaya. This holy water is believed to contain healing powers and is distributed among those present.

Experience Overview

The visit typically lasts one hour. First you walk towards the temple through the gardens. Your guide will buy you the entrance tickets. We recommend buying a lotus flower right at the entrance. Buy it yourself for the experience, why not? Your guide will walk you through the various chambers explaining the history and significance of the temple.

Includes:

Entrance Fees

Duration:

Approximately 1.5 hours.

Difficulty:

Easy.

Meeting time on location:

No specific time.

What to wear or bring along:

Wearing a white shirt is a good idea, it shows respect, but it is not mandatory. You will need to cover your knees and shoulders – and access the inner chambers barefoot or with socks. You will find socks in the basket inside the vehicle and a sarong in case you need one.

Private or not?

The visit is private with your guide / chauffer guide / site guide.

In the know / managing expectations:

The Pooja times are 5.30 AM, 9.30 AM and 6.30 PM. There are two sides to this – some prefer to see the Temple during a Pooja, a small ceremony of reverence involving drummers and dancers – there are more people during this time.

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A visit to the Temple of the Tooth - Experience - Sri Lanka In Style

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Managing Expectations

“ It is important to remember that, whilst they are experts in their field, the people who run or host our experiences are not necessarily used to working in the tourism industry and may not offer the level of service you would find at a five-star hotel. For example, instead of a formal lecture, you may get a relaxed conversation where open discussion is encouraged. All of our hosts are, however, extremely engaging, knowledgeable and passionate about educating visitors about their chosen subject and we have worked with them to ensure that they deliver worthwhile, fulfilling experiences. We welcome feedback, so please let us know what you thought and if you think any improvements could be made to the experiences we offer. ”

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A visit to the Temple of the Tooth