It is believed that a tooth of the Buddha is kept here. The Tooth ‘relic’ of the Buddha was brought to SriLanka during the time of King ………… by a royal couple of India called prince Danta and Princess Hemamala. They wanted the Tooth Relic to be kept in a safe place as it was not safe india, they hid it in the hair and brought it to Sri Lanka. After a few centuries, the Tooth Relic became the symbol of power and authority among of the Sinhala Kings. A person in the royalty was not accepted as King until he had the custody of the Tooth Relic. The present Temple of the Tooth was constructed by King Sri Wimaladharma Suriya ( 1591 – 1604 ). Several improvements and addition were made to this building by King Vira Parakrema Narendrasinghe in 1707 . The Paththiruppuwa ( the octagaon) and outer walls were constructed by the Nayakkar King Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe, the last king of Kandy.
When the British with the assistance of some disgruntled elements of Kandyan nobility invaded Kandy in 1815, Sri Wicjkreme Rajasinghe fled towards Meda Maha Nuwara with the Tooth Relic. He was later caught by the British at Udupitiya.
The Tooth Relic at that time had been kept hidden at the Buddhist Temple of Meda Maha Nuwara. After signing the Kandyan Convention of 1815, the Tooth Relic was brought back to the ‘Dalada Maligawa’ where it was kept prior to it’s removal by the King.
The ‘Dalada Maligawa’ (In English it is called ‘Temple of the Tooth’ ) is an institution the Sri Lankan Buddhists hold in the highest respect and veneration. Various religious customs and ritual came to be built around the Tooth Relic. These traditional elements have fostered the local arts and culture of the Sinhalese people.
The ‘Dalada Maligawa’ is considered as one of the most the holiest places of Buddhist worship in Sri Lanka. There are four Dewalayas connected to the Dalada Maligawa. These Dewalyas are dedicated to Gods Naatha, Paththini , Vishnu and Kataragma. Apart from God Kataragma, the other three are closely related to Buddhism. Perhaps God Kataragma would have been installed due to the influence of Nayakkar clan who were Hindus. All these four Dewalayas have their own ‘Perahera’ in the Dalada Perahera. Dalada Maligawa and the daily rites performed there have given rise to many rituals and traditions.. The Tooth relic represents the Buddha and is considered a living Budhdha. Hence daily food and drink are offered to the Tooth Relic as if they are being offered to the Buddha himself. Those who cook the ‘Dana’ ( offerings of food’) to be offered to the Tooth relic have many rituals and traditions to follow. They should be complete vegetarians and should never eat any type of fish, meat or eggs. Similarly those who take part in the various services at the Maligawa also should be vegetarians. Even the vocabulary used inside the kitchen is quite different from the ordinary language. The chief of the Kitchen is called ‘Kariya Karawana Korala’ and all, activities inside the kitchen are done under his strict supervision. Although the Dlada Maligawa is under the custodianship of the Maha Nayaka Theros ( Chief Monks), of Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters, there is a laymen who attends on the lay activities related to the administration of the Dalada Maligawa. This person is called ‘Diyawadana Nilame’. He is the lay custodian of the Tooth Relic and the Dlada maligawa. He looks after the Temple properties and the day today activities of the Maligawa. He is in charge of the safety and security of the Tooth Relic and all the gifts bestowed on the Tooth Relic. There are many officials who take part in the lay administration of the Maligawa. These are Kariya Karawana Korala, Vattoru Raala, Gepa raala, Hakgedi Raala, Kaththiyana Raala, Gabada Mohottala, Alaththi Ammas, Palle Maale Raala , Muluthengei Raala and several Mohottalas in charge of various things.
