Sri Dalada Maligawa -The Temple of the tooth relic

The Temple of the Tooth Relic or Sri Dalada Maligawa, is a Buddhist temple in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the palace of the king of the first kingdom of Kandy, where there is a symbol of the tooth of the Buddha. Since ancient times, the memorial has played a very important role in the country's politics because it is believed that anyone who owns this memorial holds the administration of the country. Historically owned by the Sinhalese kings. The temple of the tooth is a World Heritage Site because of the temple and the memorial.

Bhikkhus of two special orders, the Malwathu order and the Asgiri order, perform daily worship in a room inside the temple. The services are held three times each day: in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening. On Wednesdays, there is a symbolic bath of celebration with a medicine made from perfumed water and fragrant flowers called Nanumura Mangallaya; this holy water is believed to have healing powers and distributes it to those in it.

The temple was damaged from the bombings of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna in 1989, and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 1998. However, it was fully restored each time.

History

After the Maha parinirvana of Gautama Buddha, according to legend, the toothpick was preserved in Kalinga and smuggled to the island by Princess Hemamali and her husband, Prince Dantha on the orders of her father the King of Guhasiva. Hemmamali hid the rest in her hair. on the way to the island. They arrived on the island in Lankapattana during the reign of Sirimeghavanna of Anuradhapura (301-328) and gave the toothpick. The king had it placed in Meghagiri Vihara in Anuradhapura, which is now Isurumuniya.Protecting the event has been the responsibility of the king since then, so over the years, the maintenance of the food showed the right to control the island. Therefore, the kings built temples of teeth near their royal palaces, as was the case during the Anuradhapura Kingdom, the Polonnaruwa Kingdom, and the Dambadeniya Kingdom. During the Gampola Dynasty, the shrine was enshrined in Niyamgampaya Vihara. It is reported in the messenger poems like Hamsa, Gira, and Selalihini that the tooth temple was located in the city of Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte when the Kingdom of Kotte was established there.

Paththirippuwa

During the reign of Dharmapala of Kotte, the memorial was moved and hidden in Delgamuwa Vihara, Ratnapura, in a stone tower.Hiripitiye Diyawadana Rala and Devanagala Ratnalankara Thera brought it to Kandy. King Vimaladharmasuriya I built a two-story house to store the toothpick and now the house is gone. In 1603 when the Portuguese government attacked Kandy, it was taken to Meda Mahanuwara in Dumbara. It was recovered during the reign of Rajasinha II and it is reported that he renovated the original building or built a new temple. Vira Narendra Sinha was the person who constructed the current shrine of the tooth. Sri Vikrama Rajasinha added the octagonal Paththirippuwa and moat during his rule. The royal architect Devendra Moolacharya is credited with the construction of the Paththirippuwa. In the beginning it was used by the king for entertainment and later it was offered to the tooth, and now it is the library of the temple.

Architecture

The brick wall that runs over the moat and Bogambara lake is known as the tidal wall. This wall has holes designed for the lighting of coconut oil lamps. The main gate lying on the water is called Mahawahalkada. Under the steps of Mahawahalkada, there is a Sandakada pahana (moonstone) carved in Kandyan architecture. Mahawahalkada was badly damaged in a 1998 bomb and was later rebuilt along with Sandakada pahana and other stone carvings. Elephants are depicted in stone on either side of the door. The Makara Torana and two guardian stones are placed on the stairs. The Hewisi motor room is located in front of the main temple. The two floors of the main church are known as "Palle malaya" (lower floor) and "Udu malaya" (upper floor) or "Weda hitina maligawa". The doors of the Weda Hitana Maligawa are carved Ivory. The actual room where the toothpick is kept is called "Handun kunama".

The golden pavilion on the main temple and the golden wall that surrounds the temple complex, was built in 1987 by the Prime Minister, Ranasinghe Premadasa. The tooth relic is in seven golden boxes of it is engraved with precious stones. the casket used during the Kandy Esala Perahera is also displayed in the same room.

Associated buildings and structures

Royal Palace

Vimaladharmasuriya I of Kandy built the Kandy Palace

The king's palace is located to the north of the temple. John Pybus, who was on an embassy in 1762, gave a detailed description of the palace of the king. On this site, royal residences were constructed by Vikramabahu III of Gampola (r. 1356–1374) and Sena Sammatha Wickramabahu of Kandy (r. 1469–1511). Vimaladharmasuriya I of Kandy made various decorations in the palace. General Gerard Pietersz Hulft and the Dutch orientalist Philippus Baldaeus visited the palace in 1656. Since the Polonnaruwa era, the royal palace has been referred as in Sinhalese as "Maha Wasala."The royal palace is also known as "Maligawa"(Palace). Three Wahalkadas and a wall 8 feet (2.4 meters) high were used as gates. The part of the palace facing the Natha Devale is said to be the oldest part. At the beginning of the British era, it was used by the representative of the government Sir John D'Oyly, 1st Baronet, of Kandy. D'Oyly representatives continued to use it as their official site. Today it is preserved as an archaeological museum. The Ulpen Ge and the Queens Palace are the joint buildings of the palace.

Audience hall

The audience hall is seen here from the northern end of the temple

The hall of audience or magul maduwa is where the Kandyans held their court. It was completed during the reign of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha. It was built by Sri Rajadhi Rajasinha of Kandy in 1783. The hall was renovated to welcome the arrival of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales in 1872. The original hall was 58 by 35.6 feet (17.7 m × 10.9 m); after renovations, her length was extended by an additional 31.6 feet (9.6 m). Other buildings near the palace are believed to have been demolished during the British rule. The audience hall was the place where the Kandyan Convention was organized, where the convention was read to the people and the conference was held, about the convention, on March 2, 1815. later use that opportunity to establish Kandy. Kachcheri and Kandy High Court. Today it is used for state ceremonies and preserved under the ministry of research.

Mahamaluwa

Mahamaluwa has the public who came to see the annual Esala perahera. Today there is a statue of Madduma Bandara. The memorial with the skull of Keppetipola Disawe is another attraction. The statue of Princess Hemamali and Prince Dantha is also here.

Kandy Esala Perehera

The Esala Perahera in Kandy is one of the oldest and most beautiful Buddhist festivals in Sri Lanka, featuring dancers, jugglers, musicians, fire breathers, and beautifully decorated elephants. This is done in Esala (July or August) which is the month that is believed to commemorate the first teaching given by the Buddha when he attained enlightenment. The Kandy Esala Perahera lasts for ten days but various performances can be witnessed throughout. The Sinhalese term 'Perahera' means a procession of musicians, dancers, singers, acrobats and other entertainers along with a large number of Tuskers and Elephants running through the streets in celebration of a religious event.

The Esala Perahera in Kandy is celebrated to honor the Sacred Tooth Relic and the four 'guardian' Gods Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama and God Pattini. The Kandy Maligawa Perahera is followed by the Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama and Pattini 'Devales' (Special shrines for these Gods) located at the back of Kandy Maligawa (Shrine of the Tooth).

After the Kandyan Kingdom fell to the British in 1815, the protection of the Tooth Relic was given to the Buddhist monk. In the King's absence, a caretaker named Diyawadana Nilame was appointed to handle the general administrative affairs. The purpose of the Kandy Esala Perahera Procession is to pray for the blessings of the gods to get rain for planting crops and enriching the lands of the government.

This ritual is done by carrying the sacred tooth of the Buddha through the streets of the city of Kandy which is done with a unique panache. This is considered one of the most beautiful competitions in Asia.

The first ceremony of 'Kap Situweema' (planting of a consecrated Sika Tree) will be held to start the ceremonies starting from Perahera. The ceremony is held according to an auspicious time.

The Jackfruit tree is sprinkled with fragrant water and offerings are made of nine flowers and a nine-wick oil lamp. The priest of the Maha Vishnu Devale (Vishnu Temple) says his prayers to all the gods.

History of the Kandy Perahera

Old Ceylon Kandy Perahera - the Kandy Perahera originated from the arrival of Prince Dantaha and Princess Hemamala, the son-in-law and daughter-in-law of King Guhasiva of Kalinga in India to Sri Lanka during the King's reign of Kirthisiri Meghawanna (305-331 AD) . Following the order of King Kirthisiri Meghawanna that the Relic should be taken around the city of Anuradhapura once a year, the Esala Perahera was followed by the succession of kings, despite the difficulties caused by to foreign invasions.

The most prominent description of the Esala Perehera is found in the book written by the Chinese traveler 'Fa Hien' who visited Sri Lanka in the 5th century AD. the seat of government from Anuradhapura. to Polonnaruwa, then Dambadeniya and later to other cities. At each retreat, a new temple was built to house the Tooth Relic. Later, after the change of the capital to Kandy, the Relic was not disturbed. since then and the Esala Perahera is held every year to enjoy and respect the Tooth Relic.

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