Second day of ‘Siri Dalada Vandanawa’ draws massive crowds to Kandy

Today marks the second day of the ‘Siri Dalada Vandanawa,’ a rare and sacred opportunity for both local and foreign devotees to witness the revered Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha, enshrined at the Sri Dalada Maligawa — the pinnacle of Buddhist reverence in Sri Lanka.

Devotees will be allowed to worship the Sacred Tooth Relic today from 12 noon to 5.30 p.m. today (19).

The religious observance began yesterday at 2.30 p.m. and concluded at 5:30 p.m., granting thousands the chance to pay homage to the Sacred Relic after a gap of 16 years. Over 100,000 devotees had visited the Sri Dalada Maligawa on the opening day.

Many who were unable to worship the Sacred Relic yesterday remained overnight in Kandy in hopes of doing so today.

A ‘Dansala’ organized by the Sri Dalada Maligawa for visiting devotees was held last night, with ‘Diyawadana Nilame’ Pradeep Nilanga Dela also in attendance. The ‘Dansala’ served dinner to approximately 35,000 people daily from 7.30 p.m. to 2.00 a.m. A special dining hall capable of accommodating 1,000 people at a time has also been set up.

To manage the massive influx of worshippers, three main access routes have been arranged:

-From D.S. Senanayake Street to the Sri Dalada Maligawa entrance,
-From Rathu Bokkuwa via Sangharaja Mawatha to the main entrance,
-From Rathu Bokkuwa via Maligawa Place to the main entrance.

Each of these queues had stretched over 4 kilometers by this afternoon (19).

In the meantime, special public transport services are in operation for devotees traveling from across the island, including Colombo. Sri Lanka Railways has deployed eight additional daily train services to Kandy, while the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) is running special bus services from several major cities.

To ensure public health and safety, the Sri Lanka Public Health Inspectors’ Association has deployed nearly 50 public health inspectors daily. Their duties include inspecting food outlets, monitoring garbage disposal, and ensuring adequate drinking water and toilet facilities for devotees.

However, authorities noted that some pilgrims had carelessly disposed garbage at various locations in the city. Health officials are urging the public to responsibly dispose of waste in designated areas and help maintain a clean environment. According to reports, the accumulated garbage had been cleared by this morning.

The Kandy Municipal Council has taken steps to further improve public health amenities, including expanding toilet facilities.

Meanwhile, devotees can access real-time updates on queue status and parking availability through the official police website at www.police.lk.

Sri Lanka Police request the public to dress in white attire and refrain from bringing large bags, cameras, video equipment, and other electronic devices to the Sri Dalada Maligawa for security reasons.