The tooth Relic shrine-pillars and bars

The entrance door at the lower storey, which is exquisitely decorated with silver carvings could be entered only by the monks and the lay man engaged in service (tevava),The Diyawadana Nilame and the very special invitees. The lower storey consists of the inner storage room (Aramudala),housing gold and other valuable donations to the sacred Tooth Relic constitutes the vada sitina maligawa,proper ,which possesses the inner chamber (Gandha kuti)preceded by a narrow passages called Handun-Kudama, where devotees make offerings .The exterior passage of the shrine chamber is divided into several rooms ,storekeeper s room (Gepalunbaranda),pavilion for changing clothes by the royalty (Halubaranda)room for placing the pingo carrying the Buddha puja (Kattiyanabaranda) etc.

The vestibule of the shrine chamber, which is termed as Digge,has revealed new murals dating back to king Narendrasighe s time who was responceble for the original building of the shrine . Inside the shrine chamber, the visitors could view the golden Relic casket containing the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha,which is enshrined in six other caskets of precious material and placed within a build –proof chamber, within this chamber could also be seen the small gold casket offered by keerthi sri Rajasingha, which is usually carried by the chief tusker in the annual procession ,precious ornaments decorating the casket and cowries (camara)offered by the royalty. The two monks attending on daily ritual offerings stand on either side of the jasmine flower altar for devotees to make their offerings .it is customary for the visitors not to trample the silver plate –covered threshold of the chamber, sometimes, the devotees make a symbolic offering of new –born to the sacred tooth relic by placing the infant in front of the shrine chamber in the Handunkudama.