Temple of the Sacred Tooth in Dambadeniya

The Third Kingdom Dambadeniya temple is only an hour’s drive from Negombo and worth the journey for the fascinating 800-year-old wooden structures with original picture house and columns carved with the timeless lotus flowers holding up the beams of the ceiling.
 

The temple has a unique form of architecture, including the elephant that guards the entrances to the sacred spots that you should visit in sequence. These elephants have over the top trunks; almost cartoon like that are unique to the Third Kingdom. The king, on arrival, would go through the royal gate at the front of the temple, which was designed to be in perfect alignment with Buddha’s position in the picture house. Walk slightly to the left or right and the perspective is altogether changed, which is extraordinary as it is clearly an architectural illusion.

Read more: Wood-looking Temple of the Sacred Tooth: Dambadeniya The Third Kingdom