Temple of the Tooth Relic (Dalada Maligawa)
ශ්රී දළදා මාලිගාව
Kandy
Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka and lies
in the midst of hills. It is the Capital of the Central Province. It is both an
administrative and religious city. Kandy is the second largest city in the
country and is frequently visited by Buddhists especially of the Theravada
School. Kandy is very famous among tourist for three main reasons: It is home to
the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic; Dalada
Maligawa ), The Botanical Gardens ( Located in Peradeniya) and it always has a
special place when it comes to festivities such as the Esala Perahara.
Kandy was the capital of the Singhalese Kings from 1592 to
1815. Fortified by a terrain of mountains and the difficult approach Kandy
managed to operate in independence from Dutch, Portuguese and the English till
1815. The city is a world heritage site declared by UNESCO, in part due to this
temple.
The Sri Dalada Maligawa or The Temple of the
Sacred Tooth Relic is a temple in the city of Kandy in
Sri Lanka. It was built within the royal palace complex which houses the one of
the two surviving relic of the tooth of Buddha, an object of veneration for
Buddhists. The other tooth relic is believed to be enshrined in a stupa called Somawathi Chethiya.
The Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy, the temple which houses
the Sacred Tooth Relic of The Buddha, is possibly the most sacred Buddhist
shrine in the world. It is venerated not only by Buddhists in Sri Lanka but by
Buddhists all over the world.
King Wimaladharmasuriya I (1592 – 1603), the first to select
Kandy as the ruling capital originally built a two storied Temple for the Relic
and brought the tooth relic from Delgamuwa near Kuruwita in Sabaragamuwa which
has been hidden for protection. Remains of this temple no longer exist.
Wimaladharmasuriya II
(1686 – 1706) built a three storied temple and his son
king Viraparakrama Narendrasinha (1706 – 1738), the last Sinhalese king to rule
the country, built a new two storied temple temple seeing that the old temple
built by his father has decayed. The last king of Sri lanka, Sri Wickrama
Rajasinghe (1797 – 1814) built the Pattirippuwa (the Octagon). Originally, the
Pattirippuwa (octagon) was part of the royal palace. It was used by the king to
address his follow countrymen. Today the Pattirippuwa has become a part of the
temple and houses ancient textures written in ola leaves.
The entrance to the temple complex is through the “Maha Vahalkada”. There are two walls on the sides of
the “Vahalkada”. The outer wall is called “Walakulu Bamma” (wall of clouds). This same pattern is
also used in the wall surrounding the Kandy lake. The inner wall is called “Diyareli Bamma” (wall of water ripples). Both these
walls are built with holes to place oil lanterns during the night.
The tooth relic is kept in the upper floor in the chamber
called “Vadahitina Maligawa” The door of this chamber is
covered with gold silver and ivory. The tooth relic is encased in seven gold
caskets studded with precious stones. The outer casket is studded by precious
stones offered to the tooth relic by various rulers.
On the right to the relic is the “Perahara Karanduwa” (relic chamber used in the annual Asala Mangalaya perahara procession) kept inside a bullet proof glass
display. This has been donated by India. Over the relic chamber there is a
golden lotus flower studded with precious stones hanging from the ceiling.
One of the very few who had seen the tooth relic out side
the keepers of this sacred relic is John Davy an Englishman in 1817, who has
published it in his book called An Account of the Interior of
Ceylon in
1821. According to him it was inside 5 gold karaduwa’s (caskets) . The relic it
self was wrapped in a pure gold sheet and put in a gold case studded with
emeralds, diamonds, and rubies just the size to receive it. This was kept
inside of a gold karanduwa also studded with precious jewels. This in a second,
third, forth and caskets which all richly decorated with emeralds, diamonds,
and rubies. And this fourth Casket which is about 1 1/2 feet in height was
placed inside of the great Karanduwa (casket). He describes the relic it self
as yellow in colour and brownish at the truncated base.
On to the left of the temple is the new building which
houses the taxidermised remains of the Maligawa Tusker – Raja. This magnificent
tusker was captured in the jungles of Eravur in the Batticaloa District 1925.
He was purchased by Tikiri Banda Manampitiya Dissawe for Rs 3,300/- in 1937 and
was donated to the temple by him. For over 50 years Raja carried the golden
casket which carried the tooth relic and in 1984 he was declared as a national
treasure by the government. This is only the second time a tusker has been
declared a national treasure. Raja died In 1988 after a long illness and then
it was decided that he to be taxidermised. This is first time a tusker has been
taxidermised.
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