Buddha's Sacred Tooth Temple 10 Rupees Sri Lanka Authentic Coin Money for Jewelry (Bimetallic) (Independence Anniversary) (Kandy) (1998)

Temple of Buddha's Sacred Tooth 10 Rupees Sri Lanka Authentic Coin Money for Jewelry and Craft Making (Bimetallic) (50th Independence Anniversary) (Sri Dalada Maligawa) (Kandy) (1998)

Commemorative issue: 50th Anniversary of the Independence from the British Empire

Reverse: Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic), a Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy
Lettering: 1948 1998
50
නිදහස් සමරුව
INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY

Obverse: Value and dates within designed wreath
Lettering:
ශ්‍රී ලංකා
இலங்கை
SRI LANKA
10
රුපියල
ரூபாய்
TEN RUPEES

Edge: Lettering and fine reeding
Lettering: CBSL CBSL CBSL CBSL

Features
Issuer Sri Lanka
Period Sri Lanka › Democratic Socialist Republic (1972-date)
Type Circulating commemorative coin
Year 1998
Value 10 Rupees
10 LKR = 0.05 USD
Currency Rupee (1972-date)
Composition Bimetallic: nickel brass center in copper-nickel ring
Weight 8.9500 g
Diameter 27 mm
Thickness 2.15 mm
Shape Round
Orientation Medal alignment ↑↑
Number N# 5663
References KM# 158, Schön# 98

Wikipedia:
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic; commonly known as the ශ්‍රී දළදා මාළිගාව (Glorious Tooth Temple), is a Buddhist temple in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the royal palace complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy, which houses the relic of the tooth of the Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. The relic was historically held by Sinhalese kings. The temple of the tooth is a World Heritage Site mainly due to the temple and the relic.

Bhikkhus of the two particular chapters, the Malwathu chapters and Asgiri chapters conduct daily worship in the inner chamber of the temple. Rituals are performed three times daily: at dawn, at noon, and in the evenings. On Wednesdays, there is a symbolic bathing of the relic with a herbal preparation made from scented water and fragrant flowers called Nanumura Mangallaya; this holy water is believed to contain healing powers and is distributed to those present.

The temple sustained damage from bombings by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna in 1989, and by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 1998. However it was fully restored each time.

After the parinirvana of Gautama Buddha, according to the legend, the tooth relic was preserved in Kalinga and smuggled to the island by Princess Hemamali and her husband, Prince Dantha on the instructions of her father King Guhasiva. Hemmamali hid the relic in her hair on the way to the island. They landed on the island in Lankapattana during the reign of Sirimeghavanna of Anuradhapura (301-328) and handed over the tooth relic. The king enshrined it in Meghagiri Vihara (present day Isurumuniya) in Anuradhapura. Safeguarding the relic was the responsibility of the monarch from then, therefore over the years, the custodianship of relic came to symbolize the right to rule the island. Therefore, reigning monarchs built the tooth relic temples quite close to their royal residences, as was the case during the times of the Anuradhapura Kingdom, Kingdom of Polonnaruwa, and Kingdom of Dambadeniya. During the era of the Kingdom of Gampola, the relic was housed in Niyamgampaya Vihara. It is reported in the messenger poems such as Hamsa, Gira, and Selalihini that the temple of tooth relic was situated within the city of Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte when the Kingdom of Kotte was established there.

Paththirippuwa
During the reign of Dharmapala of Kotte, the relic was moved and was hidden in Delgamuwa Vihara, Ratnapura, in a grinding stone. It was brought to Kandy by Hiripitiye Diyawadana Rala and Devanagala Rathnalankara Thera. King Vimaladharmasuriya I built a two-storey building to deposit the tooth relic and the building is now gone. In 1603 when the Portuguese kingdom invaded Kandy, it was carried to Meda Mahanuwara in Dumbara. It was recovered in the time of Rajasinha II and it has been reported that he reinstated the original building or built a new temple. The present-day temple of the tooth was built by Vira Narendra Sinha. The octagonal Paththirippuwa and moat were added during the reign of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha. The royal architect Devendra Moolacharya is credited with building the Paththirippuwa. Originally it was used by the king for recreational activities and later it was offered to the tooth relic, it now houses the temple's library.