The Sacred Palladium of Sinhala Royalty: A Rare Exposition of the Tooth Relic After 16 Years – By Malsha – eLanka
For the first time in sixteen years, the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha, enshrined in the revered Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy, will be brought out for public veneration. This rare exposition, which draws millions of devotees and pilgrims, will take place from April 17 to 27, 2025. On the opening day, the ceremony begins at 3 PM, with the intricate rituals surrounding the removal of the relic taking nearly three hours.
This sacred relic, believed to have been retrieved from the Buddha’s funeral pyre before it was consumed by flames, was preserved by Arahant Khema and entrusted to King Brahmadatta of Kalinga (modern-day Odisha). It was later brought to Sri Lanka by Prince Dantha and Princess Hemamala, the son-in-law and daughter of King Guhasiva of Kalinga. From then on, the relic became the symbolic palladium of Sinhala sovereignty—both a deeply spiritual icon and a political emblem.
Access to the relic is highly restricted. The keys to its resting place are safeguarded by the Mahanayake of Asgiriya, while the keys to the outer casket are held by the Mahanayake of Malwatta. The keys to the Golden Karaduwa and bulletproof glass casing are with the Diyawadana Nilame—the lay custodian of the temple.
The relic has a storied and sacred journey through Sri Lanka’s history, having traversed twelve locations: Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Kotmale, Beligala, Dambadeniya, Yapahuwa, back to Polonnaruwa, Kurunegala, Gampola, Kotte, Delgamuwa, and finally to Kandy (Senkadagala Pura), its current home.
Throughout centuries of invasions and upheaval, the Sacred Tooth Relic was hidden, safeguarded, and sometimes even taken abroad. In 1284, it was taken to India by Arya Chakravarti, a minister of the Pandyan king, after invading Yapahuwa. It was later recovered by King Parakramabahu and brought to Polonnaruwa. During the colonial period, King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha concealed it in Pusulpitiya, Kotmale, as the British entered Kandy.
Sir John D’Oyly, the British Resident Representative, later returned the relic to Kandy with royal ceremony and enshrined it once more in the Dalada Maligawa. However, skepticism about the relic’s supposed powers remained. In 1828, Governor Sir Edward Barnes requested the relic be publicly displayed to observe its influence. This request, granted by the then Diyawadana Nilame Kuda Molligoda and the Mahanayakes of Asgiriya and Malwatta, led to the relic being taken to the Maha Maluwa. Upon its removal, a light drizzle turned into a torrential downpour that lasted seven days—an event remembered as the “Dalada Wathura.”
Despite Governor Barnes’s plea to return the relic to the temple amid the flooding, the priests stood firm in their traditions. It was only after this event, and after more than 1,500 years since King Kirthi Sri Meghavarnabhaya (301–328 CE), that ordinary citizens were once again allowed to venerate the Sacred Tooth Relic.
The Diyawadana Nilame, or “Dhathurakkadikari” as defined in the Dalada Siritha, is the sole authority responsible for the rituals and protection of the Sacred Tooth Relic. Only he may present the relic during the exposition. Former Diyawadana Nilame Neranjan Wijerathne, who presided over twelve such expositions, emphasized this sacred duty.
At the heart of the relic’s enshrinement lies a remarkable casket—the seventh Karanduwa, shaped like a corn cob and designed as a hair ornament. This is believed to be the original container used by Prince Dantha and Princess Hemamala to secretly transport the relic from Kalinga to Sri Lanka. It is rarely seen, held securely by the Mahanayakes of both Malwatta and Asgiriya.
This upcoming exposition offers not just a glimpse of a sacred object but a profound encounter with Sri Lanka’s spiritual and royal heritage—a living testimony to centuries of devotion, tradition, and resilience.
