Temple of the Tooth Relic, Kandy

Elephants play an important part at the temple of the tooth relic in Kandy. Every 5 years they bring out Budha's tooth in a shrine on the back of an elephant. The elephants are taught to bow before entering and are part of very large and important Budhist rituals. The tusks you see at this shrine are real elephants tusks of the dead elephants which used to be involved in the ceremonies surrounding the temple of the tooth in Kandy.