“Siri Dalada Wandanawa”, the special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic, being held for the first time in 16 years, is scheduled to commence at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy this afternoon (18), followed by a 10-day public viewing beginning on April 19.
Devotees from across the island were seen preparing since yesterday (17) to attend the historic occasion.
The special exposition is scheduled to take place at the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy, from 3.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. today. Thereafter, it will continue daily for ten days, from 19 to 27 April, from 12.00 noon to 5.30 p.m.
Meanwhile, three new access routes have been introduced by the Temple of the Tooth Relic to facilitate the movement of devotees.
These include,
-entry from D. S. Senanayake Veediya to the Temple’s entrance,
-from Ratubokkuwa through Sangharaja Mawatha to the main entrance of the temple
- from Ratubokkuwa through the temple grounds to the main entrance.
Meanwhile, police announced that an extensive security plan including public searches, checkpoints, roadblocks, and a traffic management plan will be implemented ahead of the exposition.
Accordingly, vehicular access to the City of Kandy was restricted today to mitigate heavy traffic congestion.
Special parking areas have been allocated for vehicles arriving from various parts of the country to witness the historic event.
Meanwhile, long-distance buses and city-origin commuter buses are scheduled to operate as usual, with parking limited to Rajapihilla Bus Terminal near the YMBA auditorium and Bogambara Stadium. However, short-distance buses will not be permitted to park within city limits.
Police also noted that alternative routes have been designated to facilitate smooth traffic flow for vehicles not attending the exposition.
Meanwhile, the police urged the devotees to refrain from bringing offerings for the Sacred Tooth Relic such as flowers, as the items will have to go through a thorough screening process causing huge delays in the process.
In addition, Sri Lanka Police’s Information Technology Division has introduced a new system to provide essential services for the convenience of devotees attending the ‘Siri Dalada Wandanawa’ and to facilitate collaboration with the police.
Through this platform, devotees can access information and receive instructions regarding the special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic via the official website of the Sri Lanka Police, daladadekma.police.lk.
The police also urged devotees to refrain from carrying heavy luggage, cameras, recording equipment, and electronic devices into the Temple of the Tooth Relic.
In the meantime, 50 schools in the City of Kandy and surrounding areas will be closed from the 21st to the 25th of April in view of the special exposition of the Tooth Relic.
