The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy, Sri Lanka is an iconic attraction for anyone interested in the culture and religion of Buddhism. It contains the relics of the Buddha himself, so thousands of pilgrims from all over the world flock here every year.
Check this travel guide to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy and find more details about how to get there, entrance tickets and day tours, visiting tips and other important information for first timers.
General Info
- Address: Sri Dalada Veediya, Kandy 20000, Sri Lanka.
- Opening hours: daily from 5:30 to 20:00.
- Admission fee: 1500 rupees, additional donations may be asked at the entrance.
- Book a tour with a visit to the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy here .
How to get to the Temple of the Tooth Relic
Kandy is one of the largest cities in Sri Lanka, chosen by tourists for vacation. You can get to the place in several ways:
- By car. If you are departing from the capital of Colombo, then you need to drive along the A1 highway without turning off. Travel time – three hours (120 km).
- By bus. Bus routes connect many cities with Kandy – Nuwara Eliya, Negombo, Jaffna and the capital of the country. From the last point, the road will take 3 hours, and the fare is 100-150 rupees. From the bus station you can walk to the temple in 10 minutes.
- By train. Sri Lanka train trip is cool experience. The train from Colombo to Kandy travels for four hours through the most picturesque places in the country. Tickets cost 100-400 rupees.
Temple of the Tooth Relic is located in the heart of Kandy, next to the lake. Walk from it – 5-7 minutes. The desired building will be between the National Museum and the World Museum of Buddhism.
Things to Do and See
The Temple of the Tooth Relic is not only a religious site. There is a museum of the history of the island, where you can learn a lot about the life on Sri Lanka island before the era of the colonialists. There is also a theater of national songs and dances and many souvenir shops where you can buy a statue of Buddha or other symbols of Buddhism.
For a certain amount, guides are ready to give you a tour of the Temple of the Tooth Relic and around it. Also, audio guides are available to everyone, which can be taken at the box office.
It was established that the one who protects the relic automatically gains power over the country. This artifact serves as an important symbol of the identity and pride of the people of Sri Lanka.
The relic itself – the tooth of the Buddha – cannot be seen, since it is stored under a gilded dome. They take it out only once every five years. Buddhists in Kandy and the surrounding cities consider this event one of the most important holidays. And every year, during the Esala Perahera procession, the box with the relic is carried through the streets of the city on an elephant.
Three times a day, a Buddhist service, known as puja, is held here: the monks pray and sing their deity. As offerings, they bring lotus flowers and frangipani. Tourists can watch this action. The most interesting of the services is the evening one, with candles. Starts around 6pm.
You can get into the Temple of the Tooth Relic only in clothes that cover your knees and shoulders, without any shoes. There are a lot of tourists, so take socks or shoe covers not to walk barefoot. If you come here without a suitable costume, then at the entrance you can buy a national skirt (for men and women) for 400-1000 rupees.
