Temple of the Tooth, Kandy

The story

Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, houses Sri Lanka's most revered Buddhist artefact — a tooth of the Buddha himself. Set beside Kandy's mirror-still lake, the temple's white walls, golden roof, and lotus-carved shrine rooms come alive during the daily puja rituals, when drums and hewisi music fill the courtyard.

Highlights

• Home of the Sacred Tooth Relic
• Daily puja ceremonies
• Kandy Lake promenade
• Esala Perahera festival in August

Things to do here

1. 1Attend a morning, midday or evening puja ceremony
2. 2Tour the temple museum and World Buddhist Museum
3. 3Walk the 3.4km loop around Kandy Lake
4. 4Watch a Kandyan dance and fire-walking performance
5. 5Visit the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya
6. 6Shop for handloom fabrics and gemstones in Kandy city