Kandy ~ Temple of the Sacred Tooth

January 14, 2015

Kandy ~ Temple of the Sacred Tooth 

Kandy 

We start our day with breakfast on the hotel deck, which has a beautiful view of the city and mountains.  Three of us complain that the coffee tastes like dish soap.  (Steve drinks tea). While we had talked the night before about getting down and dirty with the people and having more “authentic experiences” outside the bubble, I find we are somewhat culturally dependent and precious, at least in regard to the coffee needs for three of us.  Marie is searching on her I-phone for a restaurant in Kandy where we can get decent coffee and an authentic lunch.

Update on Politics

John has found an App on his I-pad called Press Reader that has articles about Sri Lanka from the Guardian and many other sources.  Today the news is that the new President Sirisena is reopening investigations into the 2009 killing of some journalists, stopping the blocking of web sites and intimidation of the media.  He is reported to have said that journalists can report whatever they want without fear of being abducted. One article in the news suggests that during the elections the Raj had planned a coup and a state of emergency, which was thwarted by the military who wanted a peaceful election.  A political analyst writes this is Sri Lanka’s last chance for democracy.  Yesterday Pope Frances visited Colombo and it is reported he said that, “Sri Lanka needs to come to grips with the 30 year war before they can move on.”  He called for the “pursuit of truth”. Later our guide Karu says that Sri Lanka needs a charismatic monk like the Pope.  He tells us there are two “high priest” monks each with their own temples. These monks must approve or give permission for any change in the government. Two days ago they blessed Sirisena, the new President in Kandy. Changing direction will be hard for Sirisena to do in his 100-day program, not the least because he needs a 2/3 majority to change the constitution before he can take the changes to the country in a parliamentary election.  I think about all the Obama hoped for when he was elected.

Hindu Temple

Hindu Priest

Although this is a predominatly Buddhist Temple there is also a Hindu Temple which is open to Hindus and Buddhists.  People here are bringing fruit and palm trees to this temple and receiving advice from the priest for their problems. Karu says this temple has a god for helping sick children and women.  He tells us that his wife is a Buddhist priest for helping sick people in his area. She meditates twice a day and is a vegetarian.  John is so mesmerized by the repetitive chanting, scents and ceremony that after waiting for him for a lengthy time outside the temple I went in to find him. He told me he had converted.  Many of the Buddhist temples seem to have elements of Hindu gods, and many people seem to mix principles of both Buddhism and Hinduism in their personal religions.

Buddhist Temple of the Scared Tooth

Temple new entrance after Tamil bomb

We head off for the Temple that houses Sri Lanka’s most important Buddhist relic ~ the 2.5 cm tooth of the Buddha. The tooth is said to have been snatched from the flames of the Buddha’s funeral pyre in 483 BC and smuggled into Sri Lanka during the 4^th century AD.  The tooth is a symbol of sovereignty and it is believed that whoever has custody of the tooth has the right to rule the land. There are rumors that the Portuguese seized the tooth but Sinhalese say they only got a replica tooth while the real tooth is hidden somewhere safe. The guard in the museum shows us a picture of the tooth and tells us that the monk had 40 teeth (not 32 teeth). I have a hard time imagining the size of a Buddha’s mouth with 40 teeth as big as 2.5 centimeters. He shows us a picture of the tooth, which looks the size of your small pinky finger and is shaped like a pickle.

Outside Museum

The Temple of the Sacred Tooth was built under Kandyan kings beginning in the late 1600’s up to 1782.  The entire Temple complex was part of the Kandyan royal palace. A section of the Temple near the main entrance was heavily damaged in a bomb blast by the Tamil Tigers in 1998.   We see pictures of the bomb’s destruction in the museum.  Luckily the tooth was not destroyed. The main tooth shrine is a two-story building with a gilded roof.  Sri Lankan Buddhists believe they must complete at least one pilgrimage to the temple in their lifetime, as worshipping here improves their karma. 

Our guide has planned for us to be there at 10:30, which is when the heavily guarded room housing the tooth is shown to devotees and tourists.  When we arrive there are huge line-ups and crowds of people with their children pushing into the building. Many of them have lotus flowers and gifts to leave at the site. 

There are very few tourists and we crowd in tightly with hundreds of people up to the place where gold covered dome holding the tooth is to be shown. It is a wall to wall people mash each pushing to get a view and we are like sardines pressed against each other.
  
There is a small open fenced off area where parents and tiny babies wait in front of the door to the room. Guards pack in as many people as possible and everyone waits eagerly.  

The experience of being part of this event seems very authentic and reminds me of being in the Vatican and how Catholics feel when they see the Pope. The golden door finally opens at 10:45 and I glimpse for a brief second something gold. Then we are moved along by guards. The tooth is kept inside an approximately 8 inch gold casket shaped like a stupa which contains a series of 6 stupa caskets each one smaller than the others, like a

Russian nesting doll set.  I wonder if this event will enhance my karma but soon find out that is not to be the case.

Stolen Purse

This experience of being with people worshipping with their children and giving flowers to the Buddha is heart warming.  One woman gives a lotus flower to Marie and I so we can share something with the Buddha. I feel humbled by this gesture and regret not buying some lotus flowers. 

Woman shares her lotus flowers with Marie and I

As we leave the tooth room we pass through some other beautiful rooms where families sit around peacefully talking and praying.  It clearly is not necessary to be quiet here and people seem comfortable with my picture taking, although I feel somewhat ashamed I am doing this.  It seems that people are flexible, open and generous.  

Leaving the compound we come to a tight area where people are pushing and shoving.  One lady is very aggressive with me. and I am surprised because this aggression seems different from the close, physical intimacy I felt earlier while waiting to see the sacred tooth. I commented to Marie about this pushing. 

We finally squeeze out this mash of people heading for the coffee place Marie has researched called Natural Coffee. She reports this place has the best coffee in Kandy. Here I discover that my purse with my 2 credit cards, US cash and driver’s license is gone!  Perhaps not everyone is generous and my karma is not so good.  Karu and I go to the police station where they tell me that this is common and if someone turns in my purse they will call Karu.  John looks at me wondering how I can be so naïve. I think of him suggesting a few days earlier that his lost cash card and blue sweater at the prior hotel was taken by the monkeys! I think I have just had an authentic experience.

Karu suggests a nearby restaurant for an authentic lunch called the Midlands. We have a delicious Sri Lankan lunch, which is much better then the version we had the day before.  Or, at least I think so.  Price is similarly cheap.

Royal Botanic Gardens

We spent the afternoon leisurely walking in what is considered the largest botanic garden in Sri Lanka, surrounded on three sides by the Mahaweli Ganga river. The most spectacular parts of the garden was the royal palm avenue, the cannonball and giant bamboo trees mature flowering trees and orchids. Steve and Marie are excited by the strange looking trees and amazing root structures.  I felt this park was a nice relaxing contrast to the crowded and frenetic Temple experience.

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Tired and ready to return to the hotel after a great day

Later back at the hotel John, Marie and Steve all have massages and come back covered in oil.  John describes his experience as “oily”. Marie describes the masseuse technique of pulling her hair so hard so it will get longer (and she had dreams the night before of having long hair).  Steve feels the masseuse should have massaged the muscles on his face below his eyes because they are tired from smiling. All of them have showered 3 times trying to get the oil out of their hair.  Not sure I want to do this despite my desire for long and strong hair?