Dhalada Maligawa

Sri Dalada Maligawa (the Temple of the Tooth) is the holiest shrine in the Buddhist world. According to tradition, the Tooth Relic of the Lord Buddha was brought to Sri Lanka in the 4th century AD by an Indian princess called Hemamali. Fearful that the relic would be stolen, Hemamali hid the tooth within the tresses of her hair.
The temple is famous for its traditional Sinhalese architecture and is visited by thousands of devotees every day. The most dominant feature of the building is the Octagon (Pattirippuwa) which was where the Kandyan kings addressed the public on important occasions.