Buddhist relic, believed to be the Buddha's tooth, housed in the Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth), in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is a focus of
Buddhist pilgrimage. Daily worship includes several services of ritual drumming and chanting. The Sacred Tooth is also the centre of the Esala Perahera (Sacred Tooth Festival), a ten-night celebration held annually in July/August. The relic is carried in an ornate casket on the back of heavily adorned elephants through the torchlit streets, accompanied by a procession of drummers and dancers.
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