Temple of the Tooth, Udawatta Kele Sanctuary, Bahirawakanda Buddha

Today we visited the Temple of the Tooth, where we also attended the ceremony that takes place three times a day. We were advised to go, but honestly, it probably felt similar to recommending someone from Sri Lanka to visit a church during a service.

At the entrance, we removed our shoes and then went to the foreigner's entrance, where we moved through the entire temple with the worshippers. It was very crowded, and we were quickly shuffled along to keep the constant flow of people moving. Along the way, there was a lot of drumming, and offerings in the form of flowers were collected by the temple staff into large bags. I would be interested to know what happens to the contents afterward, but it wasn't clear.

In the various rooms, sacred texts were displayed, as well as the sacred tooth, a tooth of Buddha, which was kept in a vessel and thus not visible. Everything was lined with large elephant tusks.

On the first and second floors, there was a museum showcasing many old items from the temple, including clothing of past kings and photos of the bombing of the temple in 1998.

After exploring the outdoor area with various incense holders and offering lamps, we continued to the nearby Udawatta Kele Sanctuary, a protected forest area with paved pathways. It was well worth it; we saw many large trees covered with vines and other vegetation. Birds were flying around, and butterflies fluttered by.

Since it was just after noon, we took a short break before visiting the Bahirawakanda Buddha; a large white Buddha statue on a hill.

The ascent took a bit longer but was manageable, and there were even footpaths here and there.

At the foot of the temple, we again removed our shoes and walked barefoot through the complex. We didn't consider the very hot floors, which made us try to walk in the shade, similar to ‘the floor is lava’, amusing the monks with our hopping. Higher up, there was again a required donation, as well as for leaving our shoes, then we climbed the stairs to the shoulders of the Buddha, where there is a magnificent view over the city and the surrounding mountains.

To conclude, we made a quick stop at the market and stocked up on mangos, guavas, rose apples, and various samosas.

Since we were quite exhausted and loaded from the market, we opted for a tuk-tuk on the way back. It bravely fought its way up the steep hill with the two large, heavily loaded Europeans. It's fascinating what these things can accomplish.