Sri Lanka is showcasing the sacred tooth relic of the historical Buddha to the public for the first time in 16 years as part of a significant religious and cultural festival. The 10-day exhibition at Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in the city of Kandy will conclude on 27 April.
In an official statement, the office of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that the public could visit the relic daily from 12 p.m.–5 p.m. The government arranged for ambassadors and diplomats from 17 countries, including India, to travel by train to Kandy to attend the opening ceremony for the exhibition.
Kandy has been decorated with Buddhist flags for the occasion, and many offering sites have been established to provide visiting devotees with food and beverages.
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, known in Sinhala as Sri Dalada Maligawa and located near the ancient Royal Palace in Kandy, is a globally recognized center of worship that enshrines the sacred tooth of Shakyamuni Buddha. The temple was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.
The relic was brought to Sri Lanka by Princess Hemamala and Prince Dantha from the city of Kalinga in ancient India during the reign of King Keerthi Sri Meghavarna (r. 301–328 CE). The relic was relocated to various shrines as the kingdom’s capital moved.
According to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic website, the tooth relic was finally brought to Kandy in 1590, where it has since become a symbol of Sri Lankan Buddhism and one of the most revered shrines in the Buddhist world.
Today, the sacred tooth relic holds significant spiritual, historical, and cultural importance for Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese Buddhist majority, who constitute 74 percent of the island nation’s population.
The protection of the precious relic and the continuous performance of religious ceremonies are conducted under strict supervision, with the three principal custodians: Venerable Tibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Mahanayake Thero of the Malwatta chapter of the Siyam Nikaya monastic order, Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Mahanayake Thero of the Asgiriya chapter, and the chief custodian, Pradeep Nilanga Dela.
Police reported that more than 125,000 people visited the temple on the first day of the public display, although the relic was on show for only 2-1/2 hours. Since then, daily viewing hours have been extended to accommodate the growing number of devotees.
French news network France24 reported that around 10,000 police officers had been deployed to protect the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and the crowds of worshipers and visitors.
A police officer was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying that nearly two million devotees were expected to visit Kandy over the 10-day event. “There will be airport-style security at the entrance,” he stated, warning that bags and cameras were not allowed inside the temple. (France24)
Separately, the Sri Lankan authorities have launched an investigation into a photograph circulating on social media that purports to show the sacred tooth relic.
The widely shared image has prompted an inquiry by Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to determine whether it had been taken during the exhibition or if it had been digitally altered. A police statement indicated that detectives were investigating whether a worshiper had violated temple rules by photographing the relic.
“If someone took a photo inside the temple, it is a serious security lapse,” a police official remarked. “There is a significant presence of plain-clothed officers inside the temple.” (France24)
See more
Sri Lanka police probe photo of Buddha tooth relic (France24)
Sri Lankans throng to Kandy for rare display of Buddhist relic (France24)
A Brief History of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa)
Sri Lankan police investigate photo of Buddha tooth relic amid tightened security in Kandy (Tamil Guardian)
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