TEMPLE OF TOOTH (DALADA MALIGAWA)

The Temple of Tooth houses the most important part of Buddha relics, the sacred tooth of the Lord of Buddha. The tooth was said to be taken from the flames of Buddha’s funeral pyre in 543 BC and was smuggled into the island during the 4th century AD, hidden in the hair of princess. The tooth was moved from place to place, up and down Sri Lanka from Anuradhapura , the first place, eventually to Kandy .

The Temple of Tooth started constructing in 1687 and finished in 1782. It is an imposing pink-painted structure, surrounded by a deep moat. The octagonal tower inside the moat was built to house the important collection of Ola (palm-leaf) manuscripts however this section was heavily damaged by the 1998 bomb blast. Person wearing shorts is not allowed to enter in this temple and shoes must be removed before entering.