Sri Dalada Maligawa and the palace shrine of Kandy

Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy, stands within the former royal palace complex and is closely associated with the Kandyan Kingdom and its rulers in the late sixteenth to early nineteenth centuries.Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic The shrine forms part of the Sacred City of Kandy, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988 for its combination of palace, monastic buildings and the temple housing the tooth relic.Sacred City of Kandy inscription

Lake, palace and forest around the tooth temple

Sri Dalada Maligawa stands beside Kandy Lake, with the former royal residence to one side and the wooded slope of Udawatta Kele rising behind the palace buildings.temple near Kandy Lake The temple complex sits in the eastern part of Kandy’s central basin, where the water, the palace precinct and the surrounding hills form a dense ensemble of religious and royal structures.

Within this setting, the main shrine is integrated into the wider palace complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy, which served as the island’s last royal capital before the end of the monarchy in 1815.Royal Palace Complex of Kandy Nearby structures such as the Magul Maduwa audience hall and other palace buildings carry timber columns and carved details that echo the architectural language of the temple itself.Magul Maduwa audience hall

The tooth relic and its Kandyan-era shrine

The central importance of Sri Dalada Maligawa lies in the relic it houses: the left canine tooth of Gautama Buddha, which reached Sri Lanka from India in the fourth century AD during the reign of King Kithsiri Mevan.fourth century arrival of the relic For centuries the relic was kept in different royal centres across the island as the capitals shifted, with its possession linked to the legitimacy of Sri Lankan rulers.relic and royal authority

The relic was brought to Kandy in the late sixteenth century under King Vimaladharmasuriya I, who built an early shrine for it within his palace complex.King Vimaladharmasuriya I shrine The present temple complex took shape under successive Kandyan kings between the late sixteenth and early nineteenth centuries, including expansions under Kirti Sri Rajasinha and Sri Rajadhi Rajasinha and the addition of the Patthirippuwa octagonal pavilion under Sri Vikrama Rajasinha.Kandyan kings and Patthirippuwa

Kandyan architecture in timber, tile and whitewashed walls

Sri Dalada Maligawa is a showcase of Kandyan-period architecture, with the main shrine building rising in whitewashed tiers capped by red tiled roofs and deeply projecting eaves.Kandyan architectural style Verandahs and passageways lead inward towards the inner chambers, lined with carved wooden pillars, ornamental doorways and richly decorated ceilings.

The Patthirippuwa pavilion, recognisable as the octagonal structure adjoining the main temple, originally served as a royal audience hall during the reign of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha and became strongly linked with the image of Kandy and its architecture.Patthirippuwa pavilion Across the wider complex, features such as timber columns, whitewashed walls and tiled roofs connect Sri Dalada Maligawa to other buildings of the Sacred City of Kandy recognised on the World Heritage List.Sacred City of Kandy buildings

Visiting Sri Dalada Maligawa: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Sri Dalada Maligawa stands in central Kandy on the shore of Kandy Lake, within the former Royal Palace Complex that once housed the kings of the Kandyan Kingdom.
• The approach from the lakeside passes through gates and courtyards and involves walking along paved paths and stairways within the palace precinct.
• The official language is Sinhala and the currency is the Sri Lankan rupee.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Sri Dalada Maligawa

Where is Sri Dalada Maligawa located?

Sri Dalada Maligawa stands in Kandy in central Sri Lanka, within the former Royal Palace Complex beside Kandy Lake and close to the Udawatta Kele forested hillside.

What should visitors expect on a visit?

Visitors encounter a palace-temple complex with courtyards, halls and shrines centred on the Sacred Tooth Relic, alongside adjoining royal buildings such as the audience hall.

What makes Sri Dalada Maligawa distinctive among Buddhist temples?

Its role as the shrine of the Buddha’s tooth relic, its setting within a former royal palace and its Kandyan architectural character together give the temple a distinctive position in Sri Lanka.