Temple · Kandy, Sri Lanka
Temple of the Tooth
A Buddhist temple in Kandy housing the relic of the tooth of the Buddha. Built 1595.
Photo: Армонд via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Kandy, Sri Lanka |
|---|---|
| Type | Temple |
| Built | 1595 |
| Coordinates | 7.2936° N, 80.6414° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Temple of the Tooth is known for
A Buddhist temple in Kandy housing the relic of the tooth of the Buddha.
About Temple of the Tooth
Sri Dalada Maligawa, commonly known in English as the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, is a Buddhist temple in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the Royal Palace Complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy, which houses the relic of the tooth of the Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. The Kandy Esala Perahera is conducted annually to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic.
History
The tooth relic was brought to Sri Lanka in the 4th century by Princess Hemamali and Prince Dantha. King Vimaladharmasuriya I built a two-storey building to deposit the tooth relic, and that building is now gone. The present-day temple of the tooth was built by Vira Narendra Sinha. The octagonal Paththirippuwa and moat were added during the reign of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Temple of the Tooth website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Kandy |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport (CMB) |
| Distance from the airport | 52.4 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark's coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport (CMB) · Colombo, Sri Lanka · 52.5 miles away
- Colombo Ratmalana International Airport (RML) · Colombo, Sri Lanka · 61.2 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Sri Lanka
More temples
Frequently asked questions
What is Temple of the Tooth?
A Buddhist temple in Kandy housing the relic of the tooth of the Buddha.
Where is Temple of the Tooth located?
Temple of the Tooth is in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Its coordinates are 7.2936° N, 80.6414° E.
How do I get to Temple of the Tooth?
The nearest town is Kandy, and the nearest airport is Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport (CMB), about 52.4 miles away (straight line).
When was Temple of the Tooth built?
Temple of the Tooth was built 1595.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_the_Tooth — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q289175 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- http://www.sridaladamaligawa.lk — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.