Kandy Buddhist temple, Esala Perahera festival, Kandy cultural sites, UNESCO sacred city Kandy
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is one of the most sacred in the entire Buddhist world. The ornate golden-roofed temple complex sits on the shores of Kandy Lake in the heart of the hill capital, and three times daily the inner shrine is opened for puja ceremonies attended by hundreds of worshippers, filling the air with the sound of drums, flutes and the fragrance of incense and lotus flowers. The annual Esala Perahera festival, held in July and August, sees the sacred tooth paraded through the streets of Kandy on a decorated elephant in one of the grandest processions.