Funday Times

Gaveshaka traces the long history of the Sri Dalada
How the Sinhalese kings protected the Tooth Relic
The Esala festival in Kandy in honour of the Scared Tooth Relic has its roots going back to the 4th century when the Relic was brought to Sri Lanka. After the passing away of the Buddha, the Tooth Relic was safely deposited in the kingdom of Kalinga in India.

When a neigbouring king waged war on Kalinga to take possession of the Relic, the king of Kalinga, fearing that the Relic would fall into the hands of the enemy, dispatched his daughter and her husband to Sri Lanka with the Relic. Princess Hemamala and prince Danta came over disguised as a Brahmin couple. It is said that the Relic was hidden in the princess’ hair. (A fine mural by the well-known painter Soliyas Mendis at the Kelaniya temple records the event).

Reigning in Sri Lanka from the ancient city of Anuradhapura at the time was King Sirimeghavanna (303-331 A D). It was in the ninth year of his reign that the Relic was brought to Sri Lanka. The king received the Relic with pomp and ceremony and kept it in a shrine within the royal palace. He ordered that an annual festival be held at which the Relic was taken in procession to the Abhayagiri Vihara and exhibited to the people.

Renowned archaeologist Senerat Paranavitana states that the annual festival of the Tooth Relic associated with the Abhayagiri Vihara was one of the most important and spectacular of all the religious festivals. There were other festivals too where the king and the people took part. The ceremony to bathe the Sri Maha Bodhi, the holy tree was one. There were others connected with Buddha images and the great stupas. “All these festivals were solemnised with music, dancing, exhibitions of royal paraphernalia, and lavish offerings of flowers and flags. There was visible expression of rejoicing among the devotees,” Professor Paranavitana says.

The Tooth Relic was kept in Anuradhapura for over 700 years until the threat of a Chola invasion and constant civil war made the ascetic sects of the chief viharas to secretly take away the Tooth and Bowl Relics and hide them in Ruhuna (South).

When Parakramabahu the Great brought the country under his domain, the Relics were brought back from Ruhuna to Polonnaruwa, which had by then become the administrative capital.

With the shifting of the capitals, the Tooth Relic kept moving. With the collapse of the Polonnaruwa kingdom and the rise of Dambadeniya kingdom in the 13th century, king Vijayabahu III (1232-1236) built a costly shrine on top of Beligala rock which was an inaccessible place and deposited the Tooth Relic. He had made provision for security as well, setting up a military guard equal to that at the royal palace.

His son, Parakramabahu II transferred the Relic to a shrine built in his palace and conducted grand celebrations in its honour. Next was Yapahuva followed by Kurunegala which was made the capital by king Parakramabahu IV (1302-1326). He made regulations for the daily ritual and worship at the temple where the Relic was kept and also held the annual procession round the city on the occasion of its public exposition. Records indicate that special expositions were held when rains failed.

King Bhuvaneka Bahu IV (1341-1351) shifted the capital to Gampala where a shrine was erected in the city to keep the Tooth relic. Next was the Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte where King Parakramabahu VI (1412-1467) built a magnificent shrine close to the royal palace to house the Tooth Relic. Festivals connected with its worship were celebrated with grandeur.

Back to Mirror Magazine