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 only surviving relic of the tooth of Buddha, an object of veneration for Buddhists. Kandy was the capital of the Singhalese Kings from 1592 to 1815, fortified by the terrain of the mountains and the difficult approach. The city is a world heritage site declared by UNESCO, in part due to the temple.

Inside the Temple

There are daily ritual worship conducted in the inner chamber of the temple by the monks of the two chapters of Malwatte and Asgiriya, undertaken in rotation annually. They conduct these services thrice a day: at dawn, at noon and in the evening.

On every Wednesday, there is a symbolic bathing of the Sacred Relic with an herbal preparation made from scented water and flagrant flowers, called Nanumura Mangallaya. This holy water is believed to contain healing powers and is distributed among those present.

Ceremonies

The tooth sanctuary

There are special religious programs conducted in the Maligawa on every Full Moon Poya day where large numbers participate. Apart from these daily, weekly and monthly ceremonies, there are four major ceremonies held every year. They are;

• Aluth Sahal Mangallaya;
• Avurudu Mangallaya;
• Esala Mangallaya; and
• Karthika Mangallaya.

Of these, the most important is the Esala Mangallaya.