Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, is a Buddhist temple within the former royal palace complex in Kandy, housing a relic believed to be a tooth of the Buddha. Since ancient times, possession of the relic has been closely tied to political legitimacy, tradition holding that whoever guards it holds authority over the land. The temple stands beside the lake at the centre of the last royal capital of Sri Lanka, its shrine of gilded and painted timber approached through drummers who mark each daily ceremony. The sacred city of Kandy is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Filmed in 4K, this episode follows the rituals that surround the most venerated object in the country.
