when the Buddha died (mahä Parinibbhäna) BC 543, his body was cremated in a sandalwood pyre at Kusinagara in India and his left canine tooth was retrieved from the funeral pyre by Arahat Khema. Khema then gave it to King Brahmadatte for veneration.[1] It became a royal possession in Brahmadatte's country and was kept in the city of Dantapuri (present day Puri in Odisha). (Wikipedia) Esala Perahera (the procession of Esala) is the grand festival with elegant costumes held in July and August in Kandy, Sri Lanka. This historical procession (perahera) is held annually to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha, which is housed at the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy. A unique symbol of Sri Lanka, the procession consists of many traditional local dances such as fire-dances, whip-dances, Kandyan dances and various other cultural dances, in addition to the elephants who are usually adorned with lavish garments. The festival ends with the traditional diya-kepeema ritual, a water cutting ceremony which is held at the Mahaweli River at Getambe, Kandy. (Wikipedia)Black and white photographic postcard on elephant on the stairs outside the Kandy Temple, Ceylon.chatham-holmes family collection, tooth relic, elephant, kandy temple, ceylon