Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic

The Sri Dalada Maligawa, or Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, stands beside Kandy Lake within the old royal palace complex of the last Sinhalese kings. It houses a relic said to be a tooth of the Buddha, and is the most important Buddhist shrine in Sri Lanka; the city around it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The relic is kept inside a series of nested golden caskets and is never shown, but you can join the pilgrims during the daily ceremonies, when drummers play and the doors of the inner shrine are opened. In July or August, the Esala Perahera festival fills the streets with decorated elephants, dancers and torch-bearers.

Wear white or light-coloured clothes covering shoulders and knees, and leave your shoes at the entrance. Time your visit for the evening ceremony, then walk around Kandy Lake; a show of Kandyan dance nearby makes a good end to the day.