The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, known in Sinhala as the Sri Dalada Maligawa, is the spiritual heart of Kandy and one of the most revered Buddhist sites in the world. It stands on the northern shore of Kandy Lake, a low complex of tiled roofs, carved stone and gilded shrines that draws pilgrims from across the island and beyond. For many visitors it is the single reason to come to Kandy, and it rewards a little understanding of what you are actually looking at.
What the relic is, and why it matters
The temple enshrines a tooth believed to be a relic of the Buddha himself. According to tradition it was recovered after his cremation and smuggled to Sri Lanka in the fourth century, hidden in the hair of a princess. Over the centuries it became far more than a religious object: possession of the tooth relic came to symbolise the right to rule the island, so successive kings guarded it jealously and moved it with the seat of power. When the Kandyan Kingdom became the last independent stronghold on the island, the relic settled here, and the present temple was built beside the royal palace.
That political weight explains the setting. The Maligawa was a royal temple, part of the palace compound, and it remains a working shrine rather than a museum. Monks tend it daily, pilgrims bring lotus flowers and offerings, and the atmosphere in the shrine halls is devotional, not touristic.
The daily puja ceremonies
The temple’s daily rhythm is set by the puja, or thevava, when drummers and horn players perform and the doors of the inner shrine are opened so worshippers can pass by. There are three each day:
- Early morning: roughly 5:30 to 7:00
- Mid-morning: roughly 9:30 to 11:00
- Evening: roughly 6:30 to 8:00
Outside these windows the inner shrine is closed and you will see the building but not the ritual. The doors are open only for part of each puja period, so aim to arrive near the start rather than the end. The mid-morning and evening pujas are the easiest to plan around, and the evening ceremony, lit by lamps and lively with drumming, is many visitors’ favourite.
Dress code and etiquette
This is an active place of worship, and the dress code is enforced at the entrance.
- Cover shoulders and knees. No shorts, short skirts, sleeveless tops or revealing clothing. Light long trousers or a long skirt and a top with sleeves are ideal in the heat.
- Remove shoes and hats before entering the temple buildings. There is a shoe-minding counter near the entrance for a small charge, so wear socks if you dislike walking barefoot on hot or wet stone.
- White clothing is traditional for temple visits in Sri Lanka and is always appropriate, though not required.
- Be respectful with photos. Never turn your back to the shrine or a Buddha image to take a selfie.
If you arrive underdressed, wraps and sarongs can usually be hired or bought from vendors near the gate, but it is simpler to come prepared.
Tickets, times and getting in
The complex is open daily from around 5:30 in the morning until 8:00 at night. Foreign visitors buy a ticket at the counter; following a revision on 1 July 2026, the standard foreign-adult price is around LKR 3,000 (roughly USD 10), with a reduced rate of about LKR 2,500 for visitors from SAARC countries, Thailand and Myanmar. Children pay less and Sri Lankan nationals enter free. Bring cash in rupees, as card payment can be unreliable.
Entry is through a security screening, a legacy of the temple’s past as a target during the civil war, when it was bombed in 1998 and since fully restored. Bags are checked and there may be a short queue at busy times.
The Esala Perahera
Once a year Kandy erupts into the Esala Perahera, one of Asia’s grandest religious processions, staged by the temple over roughly ten nights in the lunar month of Esala (usually July or August). Tuskers in elaborate cloth and lights, Kandyan dancers, drummers, whip-crackers and fire-twirlers parade through the streets, and a caparisoned elephant carries a replica of the tooth relic’s casket. It is a spectacular fusion of religion and pageantry unlike anything else on the island.
In 2026 the Esala Perahera runs from around 18 to 28 August: the opening Kumbal Perahera nights begin on 18 August, the grander Randoli Perahera processions run roughly 23 to 27 August and grow in scale each night, and a daytime procession closes the festival on 28 August. Dates follow the lunar calendar and are fixed by the temple each year, so confirm the official schedule before booking. The processions themselves are free to watch from the streets, but a good spot fills up hours ahead; hotels and agencies sell reserved balcony and roadside seats along the route for a fee, and these book out well in advance. If you can time a Kandy trip to the Perahera, it is one of the great travel experiences in Sri Lanka, but expect crowds, higher room rates and a festive crush.
Combining the temple with Kandy Lake and a cultural show
The temple sits right on the edge of Kandy Lake, an artificial lake created by the last king of Kandy in 1807. A gentle stroll around its roughly three-kilometre shore is one of the nicest things to do in town, taking in the temple’s setting, the wooded hills and the small island in the middle. It pairs naturally with a temple visit, either before an evening puja or the morning after.
Kandy is also the home of Kandyan dance, and several venues in town stage a nightly cultural show of drumming, costumed dance and a fire-walking finale, typically starting in the early evening and lasting about an hour. Because the show and the evening puja both fall in the same part of the day, a common plan is to catch the cultural show in the late afternoon and then walk to the temple for the 6:30 puja, or reverse the order. Round the day off with a walk along the lake at dusk, when the temple is floodlit and reflected in the water.
A visit here is not just ticking off a landmark; it is a window into why Kandy matters to Sri Lankans. Come dressed for it, time your arrival to a puja, and give yourself the space to watch rather than rush.
