Tooth Relic temple is the most sacred building in sri Lanka. Most people celebrate their past and the future in there. And also it is like the symbol of the power and most of the politicians attend for the extra power gaining to become more powerful in the society. In most cases Buddhist people are going there to make their devotees to the lord Buddha and ask for the help from the gods. Any whatever is the function in the building the tooth relic temple is one of the sacred building in Sri Lanka.
The tooth relic temple is a organic building which built without a plan and ended with adding many buildings together. Therefore in the form of the building and the composition of the building layout lacking the sense of modern planning and composition sensitivity of the society. The shape of the roof and sizes of the from elevated building are not nice in the sense they are like many man y boxes stacked for none reason. For me looking at the from elevation make me mess my mind and uncomfortable. For me the form of the building is like a flash painting which I don’t like. The main entrance is good the narrow path and wide garden shows the freedom which you can chive but the distance between the from entrance and the tooth relic temple entrance is not enough make feeling fin the minds of the devotes whoever enter to thee building. Thick walls in the outer premise of the building is very cool they w]express the solid idea of the protection in the building and the security which the architect is the planner wanted to achieved in the building. But between the first wall the second wall there is a wide water ramp which is complete mess the idea of having a water ramp there to make protection for the building but comparative to the other sri Lankan building the architect lacks the sense of water. Its true that most of the sri Lankan architect celebrate water in their building but in Dalada Maligawa the architect who failed to celebrate the water. Then we have to think it as a defensive barrier to protect the building.
After you enter to the building you see two paths fro two different direction one goes to the tooth relic chamber the other one leads to the outside of the building well I think this is due to the messy architecture which had been used in most of Sri Lankan buildings. But the main entrance to the chamber is great the tunnel entrance fir the chamber and hiding the climax after the oath is great I like it in the sense it gives the feeling of which we have found something in the building. The rhythm of the chamber and the sky views of the courtyard link the connection between the building and out environment. In the early morning the climax is greater due to the light lines which are cut by the wood frames and enter to the courtyard floor.
But as same as everywhere in sri Lankan the chamber entrance is not the main entrance then again you have climb a bigger stair case like it says that the path is not yet finished you have to move forward to clear the path. That’s is great like copper door plated with gold and express the idea of the sacredness, but after you enter the stair case it is so messy there are paintings murals and stories about the tooth relic. Well the story is good but the messy environment is not good in the sense it should be a clear path and clear connection between the chamber entrance and the upstairs where you can worship the tooth relic. And also the material is wood, for me wood is not a good material or that kind of stair case. For the main entrance or the path to the building can be wood but I think the connecting stair case between two floors should be more solid to celebrate the victory of coming to sacred place. And also the view from the stair case is another set of wooden windows they are open to nowhere, and also they don’t express the architectural qualities in sri Lankan architecture they are just only windows.
After you achieve the entrance to the tooth relic chamber building you can see the devotees little bit far away form the entrance, it is good I like if it is much longer. However it is ok without giving view for the front direction. After few foots you see the real chamber door and if you are lucky enough you can see the tooth relic. However when we are considering the architecture the pace is not enough for make feelings toward the tooth relic and lord Buddha the space doesn’t represent the idea of lord ness toward the lord Buddha. For me It is like the story ends you hardly enter to the building and that’s its go home if you don’t preach the lord Buddha. Well I think it is good if the space can be gentler for the user where people can stay in front of the tooth relic. Then you finish the meal and young can start the dessert the dessert is in the downstairs. Down floor connect the environment to the building.
After you getting down the first landing is for two devala, those devals and small temple area is good in the sense it has the space for the observation. The landing becoame space for making devotion and it is good in the sense all the two temp[les are beyond the level of the landing level of the building. The cir collar path between the stair case is not good and the view of the landing toward the tooth relic chamber is worse. What I suggest is there should be space or a view for the observer to have along sight from the down level of the building. By passing the landing you go to same level of the first entrance( first climax ) of the building and if you want to light lamps you can go to the north or else you can go out from south or the ,museum is in the east.
Whatever the architecture says abut the building the builder had made a great a effort toward the construction of the building. All the details re very important and they a problem to the sri Lankan context. All the columns and beams are decorated with sri Lankan stayle.The floor and decks represenst the hardness and hardship of the builder. And also whatever we talk about the building we should worship the tooth relic and highness of the lord Buddha even the architecture failed to create the atmosphere for the devote all the rumors and gossips made the stability of the highness of lord Buddha before you enter the building. Therefore even with out the architecture you can feel the sacredness of the lord Buddha. So in the end what ,my suggestion what If the architecture also can support the deviation of the s=observer then feeling s toward the lord Buddha can be better what it is now thank you.
Chameera Udawatthe
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