Sri Dalada Maligawa
Sri Dalada Maligawa , in German often the Temple of the Tooth ( Sinhala : ශ්රී දළදා මාළිගාව), is a Buddhist temple in Kandy , Sri Lanka , in which, according to tradition, the left canine of the historical Buddha Siddhartha Gautama is kept as a relic .
building
The tooth temple was built in several stages between 1687 and 1782. The octagonal tower stands out from the outside; it currently houses a library . The main complex, in which there are several shrines , consists of three floors. The third floor is home to the Golden Shrine , in front of which pilgrims gather to worship the sacred tooth. In the middle of the shrine is the access to a chamber in which the relic is kept under seven golden dagobas .
The shrine is opened three times a day for an hour each time: in the morning, in the morning and in the evening. In addition, the tooth is cleaned once a week. Whether this is the original is questionable, as several copies of the tooth exist for safety reasons. The Sri Dalada Museum is also located in the Temple of the Tooth . It illustrates the history of the tooth. Numerous gifts from pilgrims are also on display.
Temple precinct
There are four large covered shrines (devals) around the temple of the tooth . Only one of them comes from a Buddhist tradition. This Natha Devale is dedicated to the patron saint of Sri Lanka. Natha is venerated as the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara . The other three devals are dedicated to Hindu gods. In the Vishnu Devale , Vishnu is honored as the protector of Buddhism. The South Indian goddess Kannagi is worshiped in the Pattini Devale for her healing abilities. In the Kataragama Devale sacrifices are made to the god of war Skanda .
There are also farmhouses from the British colonial era in the temple district. The entire area is surrounded by a moat and ramparts . There is also a mosque and a church in the immediate vicinity of the Temple of Tooth Relic , which means that four world religions ( Buddhism , Hinduism , Islam , Christianity ) are represented within one square kilometer.
Importance of the tooth
The temple of the tooth as a building is of secondary importance. Its purpose alone, the preservation and protection of the Dalada , the Buddha's tooth, is important. The worship of the tooth is based on the idea that the spiritual power of the Buddha is stored in it. According to this, the tooth has the ability to act as a rain maker , similar to the Bodhi tree during Buddha's enlightenment . This belief also turned the religious relic into an instrument of political power. It passed through the hands of many Indian kings . The respective protector of the tooth was respected as he had religious support and his land could never be ravaged by drought . In Sri Lanka, the tooth was kept in the respective capital of the country. It was a kind of legitimation for the Sinhala throne . Buddhists from all over the world come to Kandy to visit the Temple of the Tooth. The highlight of this veneration is the annual Esala Perahera . During this procession the tooth is carried through the city to ask for rain and thus a good harvest.
History of the tooth
From India to Sri Lanka
According to legend, after the Buddha's cremation, Khema, one of the nuns in his followers, received the tooth. This in turn passed it on to Brahmadatte, the king of Dantapuri . Because of his rain-making abilities, there were many conflicts between the Indian rulers. After about eight centuries it is said to have come into the possession of Guhaseeva, who was king of Kalinga from 303 to 331 . Neighboring rulers threatened Guhaseeva. They were followers of Shiva and wanted to destroy the tooth. So the king passed the tooth on to Prince Dantha, his son-in-law. Dantha and Guseeva's daughter, Princess Hemamala, fled to Sri Lanka . Both traveled incognito as pilgrims in order not to attract attention. Hemamala hid the tooth in her hair clip . The two were warmly welcomed in Sri Lanka. From then on the tooth was protected by the local king.
Under the protection of the Sinhalese kings
The tooth was kept in the capital of Sri Lanka. Initially this was Anuradhapura , later Polonnaruwa , then Dambadeniya and finally Kandy from 1592 . Since then , two monastic orders, the Asgiraya and the Malwatte , have been responsible for organizing the worship of relics and processions. In each of these cities, as well as Kandy, a palace was built to protect the tooth.
Colonial powers later tried to destroy the cult around the relic in order to weaken the Sinhalese king's claim to power. During the Portuguese colonial period (1505–1658) the tooth was brought to Goa (India) by the Portuguese and allegedly destroyed there. However, the Sinhalese claim that it was only a copy of the tooth. Even during the British colonial period (1798–1948) attempts were made to suppress the worship of the tooth. The British even dared to ban the Esala Perahera procession. However, burgeoning unrest after such actions led to a tolerance regarding the homage to the relic.
After Sri Lanka's independence
After Sri Lanka's independence (1948), Colombo became the most politically important city in the country. Kandy continued to be a religious center, not only for the Buddhists in Sri Lanka, but also beyond. In 1988 the temple district was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with the old town of Kandy . On January 25, 1998, the LTTE carried out a suicide attack on the tooth temple. 17 people were killed and 25 injured. The temple was also partially damaged. After the damage to the temple was repaired, isolation systems were set up in front of the entrance to the temple precinct.
Esala Perahera
When does the Perhera start? According to lanka.com (see below) it begins "on Esala Full Moon Poya Day on the month of July and Concludes on Nikini Full Moon Poya Day on the month of August." During the 10 nights before the first full moon (Nikini Poya) in August the Esala Perahera (sinhala. ˈæsələ ˌperəˈhærə) takes place. It was first performed in the 4th century after the tooth arrived in Sri Lanka. It goes back to an Indo-Aryan cult , the victory of Indra over the demon Vritra , who prevents the outbreak of rain clouds.
On the five days before the festivities, parts of a yak tree are planted in front of each of the four shrines around the temple of the tooth. This is a kind of fertility cult in which the yak plantings symbolize the sacred tree Cape Ruka . On the following five days there is a procession , which is divided into 4 parts. The insignia of the four shrines in the temple district (Natha, Vishnu, Kartikeya, Pattini) are carried through the streets of Kandy. In the last 5 days (Maha Perahera) the procession around the sacred tooth joins the other four processions. The master of ceremonies for the processions is the so-called Diyawadana Nilame . He also has an office in the Tooth Temple and mostly has employees from the Ministry of Agriculture. The two abbots of the monastic orders of Asgiraya and Malwatte also hold important positions in the procession.
Up to over 100 brightly decorated elephants are used throughout the Esala Perahera . On them are often boxes and caskets that contain sacred items such as the sacred tooth. Traditionally dressed believers dance and make music next to or between the elephants. The elephants and the processional routes are now illuminated by numerous light bulbs. The procession is an annual attraction, not only for believers but also for many tourists.
At the end of the Esala Perahera , the ceremony of the watershed of the Diyawadana Nilame is performed in camera . Water is divided from the Mahaveli River with a holy sword. This now holy water is divided between Hindu and Buddhist temples. At the end there is the only procession in broad daylight.
See also
Web links
- Official website of the tooth temple (English)
- Various contributions (dental history, temple, ...) (English)
- Information on Esala Perahera (English)
- Report on the history of the tooth and the Esala Perahera
- Kandy Perahera - Esala Perahera, Sri Lanka (English)
Coordinates: 7 ° 17 '37.14 " N , 80 ° 38' 28.53" O