Due to their historical and spiritual importance, the temple and the city of Kandy were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1988.

The sacred tooth relic of Gautama Buddha, believed to have been rescued from his funeral pyre and smuggled into Sri Lanka in the 4th century CE by Princess Hemamali and Dantha.

Since ancient times, possession of the sacred relic has long symbolised legitimate rule over the island’s ancient Sinhalese kingdoms.

The relic moved with successive royal capitals before being enshrined in Kandy, which became its final resting place as the last capital of the Sinhalese kingdom.

The sacred relic is safeguarded within seven nested gold and jeweled caskets inside the temple’s inner shrine.

Daily rituals are conducted by Buddhist monks of the Malwatte and Asgiriya chapters at dawn, noon, and evening in veneration of the relic.

Esala Perahera, a ten-day festival held annually in July or August, features a grand procession where a replica casket of the relic is carried through the main streets.