The Legend of the Sacred Tooth Relic
After the Buddha's cremation, his left canine tooth was preserved in Kalinga, India. When Kalinga was threatened, Princess Hemamali and Prince Dantha smuggled the relic to Sri Lanka by hiding it in the princess's hair. They landed during the reign of King Sirimeghavanna (301-328 CE), who enshrined the tooth at Meghagiri Vihara in Anuradhapura. The relic became the palladium of Sinhalese royalty — whoever held the tooth held the right to rule. It moved with successive capitals until finally enshrined in Kandy's Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth) by King Vimaladharmasuriya I. The annual Esala