Nestling below the hills, edged by a tree-fringed lake and set among the reaches of the great Mahaweli Ganga, the city of Kandy is still very much a focal point of Sri Lanka’s culture. Kandy is a UNESCO World Heritage Site hosting the Sri Dalada Maligawa (the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha).
From April 18 to 27, Buddhists from Sri Lanka and all corners of the world can venerate the Sacred Tooth Relic during the “Sri Dalada Wandanawa” Exposition, which has been organised after a lapse of 16 years. The Exposition is being held on a special appeal made by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to the Most Venerable Mahanayake Theras of the Asgiriya and Malwatte Chapters, who are in charge of the age-old traditions and poojas associated with the Sri Dalada Maligawa.
Expositions of the Tooth Relic
History records that Sri Lankan Kings and rulers had organised Expositions of the Tooth Relic since ancient times in the various capitals of the country where the Tooth Relic was enshrined. Chinese monk and explorer Fa Hsien has written about such an Exposition in his chronicles.
King Parakramabahu II, who began the “Thewawa” traditions, had organised a month’s-long Exposition. It is believed that an Exposition organised during a long drought led to heavy rains and a bountiful harvest for the farmers.
Even during the English Colonial rule, an Exposition was held in 1828 during a long drought. Earlier in 1818, the English Governor had banned the Esala Perahera after the Uva Wellassa rebellion by a number of Sinhalese leaders. However, the Maha Sangha had told the British rulers that a long drought had resulted from banning the Perahera. Governor Edward Barnes then lifted the ban and allowed the Perahera and also an Exposition, which was inaugurated on May 12, 1828 (Vesak Full Moon Poya Day). This was the first Exposition held after the British took control of the entire island in March 1815.
Another Exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic was held to coincide with the visit of Prince Edward to the island in 1875, during the reign of Queen Victoria. An Exposition was also held to mark the arrival of Queen Elizabeth II in 1954. Expositions of the Sacred Tooth Relic were also held in 1982, 1984, 1994 and 2001. The last Exposition was held in 2009.
Senkadagala
Bhikkhus heading to the Sri Dalada Maligawa to venerate the Sacred Tooth Relic yesterday
Kandy was the seat of Government for the last generation of Sri Lanka’s Kings. Kandy was originally known as Senkadagala after a hermit named Senkada, who lived there. The English name ‘Kandy” is believed to have been derived from the Sinhala word “kanda” for mountain. To many of the Sinhala people, it is known as Maha Nuwara, the ‘great city’. Due to its isolated location, Kandy was not an easy target for the foreign invaders who plundered the coastal regions of the island, which was another reason why the Kings had moved the Sacred Tooth Relic to the Hill Capital. The Sri Dalada Maligawa or the ‘Temple of the Tooth Relic’ is one of the most striking features of Kandy. The original temple was built in 1592, and was subsequently built and rebuilt by a succession of Kings.
The Pattirippuwa, the octagonal addition, was made by King Sri Wickrama Rajasingha, the last King of Kandy. The architect of the octagon was Devendra Mulachari, reputed for his expertise in architectural design.
This provided a place from which he could address his subjects on important occasions. The British, for a short time, converted the Pattirippuwa into a prison, and today it houses the Temple’s priceless Oriental Library.
Revered objects of worship
The ‘Danta Dhatu’ (Tooth Relic of the Buddha) is one of the most revered objects of worship by Buddhists throughout the world. It now lies in the sanctum sanctorum of the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy enshrined in an embellished reliquary. The relic was brought to the island during the reign of King Keerthi Sri Meghavarna (371 CE), and ever since it was protected by kings and laymen who paid homage to it.
An Arhant named Khema carried away this Relic from the funeral pyre of the Buddha in 543 BCE, and handed it over to king Brahmadatta. When he was attacked by the powerful king Pandu, he gave the Sacred Relic to Cittayana who was the Commander of King Pandu’s Army.
When king Pandu’s city of Pataliputra (modern Patna) was attacked by king Khiradhara, he sent his viceroy Guhasiva back to Kalinga (modern Orissa) with the Relic, where it was kept in the custody of Prince Danta, to whom the King had given his daughter Princess Hemamala in marriage. Soon the king became engaged in war and he asked his daughter and Prince Danta, to carry the Relic to Sri Lanka.
After a difficult journey, they reached Anuradhapura, and handed the Relic over to King Sri Meghavarna, who placed the Relic in the hands of the bhikkhus of the Abhayagiri Vihara. The Kings took the Relic to various capital cities and finally it was brought back to Kandy, with the approval of the British, and placed in the Sri Dalada Maligawa on April 24, 1815, just over one month after the fall of Kandy to the British. John D’Oyly, the British resident in Kandy, by being present on the occasion, won the goodwill of the bhikkhus, the chiefs and the people
The painted ceiling, wood carvings and silver and ivory doors are the architectural highlights of the building. The two-storeyed temple has carved timber column beams and rafters, and the roof is covered with clay tiles and ‘Bo tree leaf’ eaves. The Beeralu balustrade on the ground floor, with its pink walls and hanging foliage pots, comes alive twice a day to the beating of the temple drums. The Magul Maduwa, or Audience Hall, a striking example of timber architecture of the Kandyan period and was a conference hall of the Kandyan chiefs.
Today, the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha is venerated by Buddhists from around the world who flock to Kandy. The Esala Perahera, held in July-August every year, has also become a famous cultural event attracting tourists.
