Sri Lanka Meteorite, Sri Lanka

The Portuguese remained rulers on Ceylon for more than two centuries but they couldn’t defeat and conquer the Sinhalese kings. The indigenous people lost their independence only in the 19th century when the British captured the island. The royal dynasty was dethroned and the last king was expelled to India without a permit to return to his land. The British Empire remained the ruler of Ceylon for the next one hundred and fifty years. As a former capital, Kandy completely lost its importance and turned into an agricultural settlement. Local people had to work from dawn to dusk for pennies.

Sri Dalada Maligawa or the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is the main attraction in Kandy. This is not only an interesting place to visit but also a sacred temple that is very important to all local people. When Buddha died and his body was burned, some fragments remained after cremation. These fragments were divided into 8 parts. All of these parts were sent to different countries where Buddhism was the main religion. A Singhalese princess brought the tooth to Kandy in 311. Nowadays, the precious relic is stored in a chest that is put in several other sacred boxes. Only carefully selected people have the honor to see the tooth.
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