Devotees who are arriving in Kandy for the special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic must behave respectfully and in an orderly manner, Mahanayaka Thero of the Asgiriya chapter Most Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thero said.

The special request has been made as more than two million devotees are expected to visit Kandy during the period.

The special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic will be held at the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy for 10 days from April 18.

Issuing a statement, the Mahanayaka Thero of the Asgiriya chapter said although traditionally the exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic takes place once in five years, it has not taken place for 16 years due to various reasons.

Most Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thero noted that since an exposition has not taken place for 16 years, the general public is eager to witness the Tooth Relic by visiting the Dalada Maligawa after the Sinhala and Tamil New Year period.  

It has also been revealed that although it is estimated that three devotees per second will be able to worship the Tooth Relic during the 10 days of the exposition, only around 600,000 people will be able to enter the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy during that time.

The Mahanayaka Thero of the Asgiriya chapter therefore urged the general public to be mindful of the safety and needs of all visitors.