DALADHA MALIGAYA

      Undoubtedly the greatest attraction of the city is the this building, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic or the Dalada Maligawa. It is one of the most sacred places for the Buddhists all over the world. The Temple is visited by thousands of devotees every day. Specially famous for its Sinhalese style architecture. the most dominant feature of the building is the Octagon (Pattirippuwa). This was the plase from where the King addressed the public on important occasions.

      The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a very special building in Sri Lanka architecture, considered as a museum of arts and crafts and a nucleus of rituals. The two storeyed central shrine with a drumming hall in front and surrounded by other palace buildings from an open courtyard. It is comparatively small but rich in art and architecture. The building was basically made out of stone, mud and timber. All possible surfaces on walls, columns, beams, brackets, doors and ceilings are decorated with mural paintings depicting episodes of the Buddha's life and traditional decorative Sinhalese art. The plinth, steps, columns and doorways made out of hard stone are all beautifully adorned with traditional carvings; timber doorways are decorated by inlaying carved invory and metal. Red, yellow, black and green the four clours in traditional lac art were used to decorate the balustrades and columns of the surrounding upper balcony. The dominating double pitched, timber framed roof cladded with flat clay tiles to from patterns and crowned with gilded brass pinnacles depicts a long standing architectural tradition of Sri Lanka.

     Ancient cultural rituals and ceremonies started in the 4th century are still being performed daily with great devotion. Beating of drums, early in the morning and in the evening is one routing of these rituals. A colourful  procession is conducted every year in the month of Esala (July - August) to venerate the sacred Tooth Relic. A tradition continued from the 4th century with more than 100 beautifully dressed elephants, nearly a thousand traditional dancers, drummers, flag and torch bearers, whip crackers and Kandyan Chiefs in full regalia makes this a fascinating procession. This annual cultural, pageant and its drums vibrate not only in the ears but in the cultural, social and economic life of the peasants in the hill country and provide an unending platform to perform, the traditional arts of the Kandyan people. No doubt, it is one of the most colourful pageants in the world. 

Moat  and the entrance gateway to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.

Illuminated Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic during the Esala Procession season.

Drumming a daily ritual performance.

Dressed Elephants in the Procession