THE TEMPLE OF THE TOOTH
Yesterday evening we went to visit the most sacred Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka, the Temple of the Tooth beside the lake in Kandy. Sacred Buddhist stupas in India and other places are said to contain a relic of the Buddha, making them especially holy. The Temple of the Tooth contains what is said to be a tooth of the Buddha although there is some dispute over whether it looks like a human tooth. No one can see it anyway, it is kept in a special chamber locked away and not open to the public. Last night outside the chamber drummers drummed at a ceremony was held inside behind closed brass doors. I video taped them here.
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The entire temple complex is beautiful and immaculately maintained and in the evening was crowded with worshippers in white bringing plates of flowers to leave in front of the statues of Buddha. One quarter of the audience was white tourists from all over the world who had their iPhones out to photograph, as I did.
One hall had paintings from Buddha‘s life with a large brass statue of the Buddha at one end. Winsor and Thalatha worshipped quietly and I walked around taking photographs which I am sharing here.
BILLYBABA’S WANDERING 