Temple of the Tooth Museum (Sri Dalada Museum)

The museum attached to the Temple of the Tooth complex occupies a building adjacent to the main shrine. It displays gifts presented to the temple over the centuries by royalty and foreign governments, historical maps and photographs of the temple, and objects from the Kandyan royal court. The collection is well presented and labels are in English.

The museum provides useful context for a visit to the temple proper, and entry is usually included in the combined temple ticket. It is less crowded than the main shrine and can be visited at a more leisurely pace. Allow thirty to forty-five minutes.

things to do museum
A story
Among the museum's exhibits is a collection of gifts presented to the tooth relic by visiting heads of state and dignitaries over the centuries — including elaborate golden caskets, jeweled elephants, and a model of the tooth relic's golden housing presented by the government of Thailand. The collection reveals the relic's role as a diplomatic object as much as a religious one: receiving the tooth in procession was historically one of the ways a foreign power signaled its respectful relationship with Sri Lanka.