![]() ![]() 800 years after the Buddha's death, in the 4th century CE, the tooth came into the possession of King Guhaseeva of Kalinga, which roughly corresponds to the present day state of Orissa. Wars were fought to take possession of the relic. It became a royal possession in Brahmadatte's country and was kept in the city of Dantapuri (present day Puri in Orissa).Ī belief grew that whoever possessed the Sacred Tooth Relic had a divine right to rule that land. Khema then gave it to King Brahmadatte for veneration. They have a hierarchy of officials and temple functionaries to perform theseĪccording to Sri Lankan legends, when the Buddha died, his body was cremated in a sandalwood pyre at Kusinara in India and his left canine tooth was retrieved from the funeral pyre by Arahat Khema. These are conducted under the supervision of the two Mahanayake Theros of Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters and the Diyawadana Nilame of the Maligawa. The Sacred Tooth Relic came to be regarded as a symbolic representation of the living Buddha and it is on this basis that there grew up a series of offerings, rituals, and ceremonies. Finally, it was brought to Kandy where it is at present, in the Sri Dalada Maligawa temple. With every change of capital, a new palace was built to enshrine the Relic. ![]() Thereafter, he ordered that an annual perahera be held in honour of the Sacred Relic.Īs time went on, as the land was threatened with foreign invasions, and the seat of the kingdom shifted from Anuradhapura to Polonnaruwa and thereafter to Dambadeniya and other cities. He built a beautiful palace within the Royal Palace Complex itself and enshrined the Relic in it. The King was overjoyed when he heard the news and warmly welcomed the royal couple and received the Sacred Tooth Relic with great veneration. It is said that Sri Lanka was chosen as the new home for the tooth relic because the Lord Buddha had said that the religion will be safe in Sri Lanka for 2500 years.Īt the time, King Kirti Sri Megavanna or Kithsirimevan ruled Sri Lanka. They set sail from Tamralipti, a port at the mouth of the river Ganges, and landed in Sri Lanka at the port of Lankapattana (now Ilankeiturei). According to legend, Hemamali hid the relic in her hair ornament and the royal couple disguised themselves as Brahmins in order to avoid discovery. ![]()
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