Taxila stands with Dalada Maligawa in housing the Lord Buddha’s Sacred Relic

The exposition of the Lord Buddha’s Tooth Relic evoked awe  and reverence from Buddhists across the country. Devotees, from all  over, thronged the Kandy city, and waited for days in snaking queues, to  pay homage to the Sacred Relic, which was exposed for the first time since  2009 for public veneration. Some even had to turn back desperately  since the city administration imposed restrictions on entry because it  was unprepared to handle such a relentless cascade of crowds.   

People who were lucky enough to observe the Tooth Relic  put on display after being taken out of its traditional casket endured many hardships on their pilgrimage to Kandy city. When it is  devotion, any suffering is secondary. They managed with meagre  resources, even sleeping on mats rolled out on wayside pavements. They  braved the weather.  

The worship of the Sacred Relics of the Lord Buddha has become an integral part of Buddhist culture and religion.  

During archaeological excavations in the land of the ancient  spread of Buddhism, Sacred Relics, works of art, Stupas, and statues  continue to be unearthed, much to the delight of followers. Numerous  archaeological finds have found their way to the museum in India,  Pakistan and Nepal, where Buddhist civilisation flourished in its  pristine glory in ancient times. Today, Buddhism is no longer the main religion in any of these countries, except Sri Lanka. 

In fostering ties among the countries based on ancient  linkages, the countries play culture diplomacy. Buddhist relics are, at  times, brought to Sri Lanka from India and Pakistan for public  veneration.  

In the hearts of devout Buddhists, Dalada Maligawa in Kandy  is held in high esteem since it houses the Tooth Relic of the Lord  Buddha. According to Buddhist belief, another Tooth Relic of the  Lord Buddha is in the world of snakes (Naga Loka), a heavenly plane  mentioned in Buddhist literature. The next is said to be enshrined in the historic Somawathiya Chaitya.  

Yet for public veneration or observation, like in Dalada  Maligawa, the Lord Buddha’s Tooth Relic is kept in another place in this  world, the Taxila Museum in Pakistan. It houses the Lord Buddha’s holy  relics for public display. It is one of the Tooth Relics of the Lord  Buddha, discovered in the Gandhara region, where the Gandhara Buddhist  civilisation reached its pinnacle of glory from the 1st Century A.D. to  the 7th Century A.D.   Since the inauguration of the Taxila Museum in 1928, the holy relic is now displayed in a separate gallery.   

That relic of the Lord Buddha was discovered from the Buddhist  Stupa and Monastery Dharmarajika near Taxila Museum in a silver casket  containing a silver inscription.  

In ancient times, Gandhara was predominantly Hindu. Taxila  is a city in that region, admired for its contribution to human  civilisation through education. It is the same city which hosted the  world’s first ever university ‘Taxila University’.   Currently, approximately 7,000 artefacts are displayed at  the Taxila Museum and around 30,000 are preserved in the reserve  collection. The collection includes Sacred Relics of the Lord Buddha,  stone and stucco sculptures, stupas, relic caskets, inscriptions, beads,  jewellery, coins, tools, pottery, utensils, and numerous other  architectural and household objects.  

Most recently, Pakistan sent the most Sacred Relics of  the Lord Buddha to Sri Lanka on April 28, 2018, for exposition in  connection with the annual Buddha Rashmi National Vesak Festival. Once  again, Pakistan has shown interest in the display of these relics for  veneration by the Sri Lankan public.   In the past, proposals have been made for the development  of religious tourism between the two countries, and air connectivity  between Colombo and Islamabad is a long-standing idea which is yet to  see the light of day.   Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his latest  visit to Sri Lanka, offered to send some relics of the Lord Buddha found  during excavations in Gujarat, India.  

Cultural diplomacy among South Asian countries is important  in building ties and bringing people closer. Enormous is the potential  for cross-border movement of people on religious linkages. It is a shot  in the arm for the development of tourism.