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TOOTH TEMPLE (SRI DHALADA MALIGAWA) KANDY
Sri Dalada
Maligawa or The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a
Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is
located in the royal palace complex which houses the
Relic of the tooth of Buddha. Since ancient times, the
relic has played an important role in local politics
because it is believed that whoever holds the relic
holds the governance of the country. Kandy was the last
capital of the Sinhalese kings and is a UNESCO world
heritage site partly due to the temple.
Monks of
the two chapters of Malwatte and Asgiriya conduct daily
worship in the inner chamber of the temple. Rituals are
performed three times daily: at dawn, at noon and in the
evening. On Wednesdays 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.