Tips for Sri Lanka

Widuri: Okay, Danu. So I heard that Sri Lanka has a lot of beautiful places. Can you mention some famous one?

Danu: Yes. Sure, Widuri. Sri Lanka is a beautiful island in South Asia. So I will talk about this famous temple known as the Temple of the Tooth Relic.

Widuri: Tooth Relic?

Danu: Yes.

Widuri: Okay. Tooth Relic. What is it?

Danu: Tooth Relic. Tooth Relic is the tooth of Lord Buddha.

Widuri: Tooth?

Danu: Yes, tooth.

Widuri: Okay.

Danu: Yes. And this Temple of the Tooth Relic is situated in the city called Kandy.

Widuri: Kandy.

Danu: Yes. And I'm from Kandy as well.

Widuri: Oh yeah?

Danu: Yes.

Widuri: So it's close to your house?

Danu: My house is right next to the Temple of the Tooth Relic.

Widuri: Wow.

Danu: Yes.

Widuri: Okay. So tell me more about it.

Danu: Sure. So Temple of the Tooth Relic was a castle before.

Widuri: Castle.

Danu: Yes. There was a king ruling Sri Lanka. He's known as the last king of Sri Lanka. So in Sri Lanka, to become the king, you should possess the Temple of the – oh I'm sorry. You should, you must possess the tooth relic.

Widuri: Okay.

Danu: So if you want to become the king or if you want to overthrow the current king, you just have to go and get the tooth relic.

Widuri: Wow, interesting.

Danu: Yes.

Widuri: Okay.

Danu: But since Sri Lanka is a Buddhist country, the people respect and worship the tooth relic. So there are like proper offerings and proper people assigned to take care of the tooth relic in this temple.

So it's a very famous place in Sri Lanka as well as around the world. So for example, in August, there is the biggest festival in Sri Lanka, the display of the tooth relic.

Widuri: Okay.

Danu: So there are so many elephants walking in the street in colorful dresses illuminated, and so many traditional dances.

Widuri: Okay.

Danu: And there is this special tusker. You know tusker, right?

Widuri: Tusker?

Danu: Yes. The elephant right tusk.

Widuri: Okay.

Danu: So this tusker will carry the tooth relic.

Widuri: Oh.

Danu: Yes. The tooth relic is in a special casket.

 

Widuri: Okay.

Danu: A golden casket. And they will display the golden casket around the streets of my city.

Widuri: I see.

Danu: So during that season, which is in August, the streets will be filled with people, local people and foreign people. So many tourists coming for Sri Lanka just to witness this colorful festival, which is known as the Kandy Perahera.

Widuri: Kandy Perahera.

Danu: Do you know what does perahera means?

Widuri: Is it parade?

Danu: Exactly.

Widuri: Wow.

Danu: Perahera means parade.

Widuri: Parade.

Danu: Kandy is my city so Kandy Perahera. So if I talk more about this temple, it has very old drawings by a famous Sri Lankan artist who used to live in Sri Lanka in the past, for example, maybe 500 years ago. And there is the king's throne, king's crown and the clothes which the king used to wear. So it's a temple and a museum where you can learn a lot about Sri Lanka's history is you can visit there.

Widuri: Wow, for interesting. I bet you never miss this Kandy Perahera every year.

Danu: I have watched so many times and as well as I have done volunteer service for the organizing as well.

Widuri: Wow. You can be a king, you can stole it.

Danu: But it's really, really bad to steal.

Widuri: I see.