Rotaractor Gershani was our tour guide to Sri Dalada Maligawa - the Temple of the Tooth Relic. This temple contains the most sacred relic of Buddhism - the left upper canine tooth of the Lord Buddha himself. The relic is kept in a golden lotus beneath six caskets considered to be too precious to be put on public display. The relic is removed from the temple only once per year during Esala Perahera, a ten day festival in August.
The relic has played an important role in the local politics for centuries - it was believed whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. Ancient kings protected the relic with great effort. The relic is kept in Kandy, the capital city of the last great Sinhalese kingdom.
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