One of the chief objects of interest in Kandy is the 'Sri Dalada Maligawa' or Palace of the Sacred Tooth. As a result of its presence the palace has been transformed into a place of worship. This is the heart of Kandy, and the Tooth of Buddha is the heart of it. The relic came from India sixteen centuries ago, and moved from capital to capital, always with the king. It is rarely shown and never leaves the temple. The temple and the 'pattirippuwa', which is the octagonal building on the right of the main entrance, are enclosed by an ornamental stone wall and a moat. Upon entering, you pass through a small quadrangle and turn to the right, up a flight of stone steps, to the temple. The most striking features that attract one's attention are the unusual carvings, brightly coloured frescoes representing torments for various classes of sinners, and many images of Lord Buddha. The flower-sellers are ranged on either side and the atmosphere is heavy with the perfume of the blossoms. Yellow-robed priests are present in large numbers, whilst the music of the temple bells and the rhythmic beat of the traditional drums, fill the air with exotic music that harmonize with the nature of the city. At the entrance to the sanctuary which contains the Sacred Tooth is an elaborate door, inlaid with silver and ivory, with two pairs of elephant tusks on either side. Within this chamber is the huge silver-gilt, bell-shaped shrine that protects the Tooth. Inside this shrine are six inner shrines ornamented with rare precious stones.

Pageant in Kandy
The festival took shape in 1775, during the reign of King Kirti Sri Rajasingha (1747-1778 AD), when a group of Buddhist Bhikkus (monks) who arrived from Siam (Thailand) expressed their displeasure at the lack of reverence accorded to the relics of Buddha during the festival. In appeasement, the king ordered the Tooth of Relic be carried through the city at the head of the four temple processions, establishing the pattern which endures to this day.
Spectacularly illuminated tropical night, a night to beat all the nights, even after the pageant, your heart still pumps blood faster as if you have taken a dose of Viagra. The procession is illuminated by itself. The resplendent pageant of the resplendent island. The fire, light, sound, man & elephant delight of the land of delights. Our man in the front is followed by a chain of thousands of Kandyan drummers, dancers & brass flute players. If the combination of explosive play of thousands of thunderous traditional drums & vibrant hi-frequency play of traditional brass flutes make your heart skip a beat till you get used to the rhythm, the sight of the thousands of acrobatic dancers of the flame posts, dancers of flame arches & flame breathers in their fluid non-stop circus, hold you spellbound. Flanking the entire procession are torch bearers. Walking with measured step, they carry the flaming long wooden posts high, illuminating everything & everybody, all the way with a golden orange tint with a view to dance. The crack of whips, chanting of the devotees, the clanking of the chain shackles on the elephant, the dull thud of their feet, the clank of the cartwheels. Torches struck on the street to disperse ashes make twinkles of thousands of beads of lights, the flames of the torches, colourful & vibrant costumes, colourful banners, colours of the temple of the tooth, the colours of the other temples.

Conclusion
Following the last day of the pageant, the water cutting ceremony is held before the dawn of the next day at a venue near Kandy, during which a priest, accompanied by a representative group of the pageant, wades out into the River Mahaweli & "cuts" the waters with a sword. The Tooth of Relic being traditionally believed to protect the island against the drought, the water cutting ceremony symbolically releases a supply of water for the coming year & divides the pure from the impure-it might also relate to the exploits of the Sinhalese King Gajabahu . King Gajabahu's Herculean lieutenant, Nila is credited with Mosses-like feat of cleaving the waters (over the Adam's bridge-Palk Strait with a width of 48km) between Sri Lanka & India in order to march his army across during his campaign against the Cholas of southern India. After the water cutting ceremony, at 3pm on the same day, there's a final "day" perahera pageant.