President donates Rs. 45 m for gold plated canopy of Temple of the Tooth

President Maithripala Sirisena has given Rs. 45 million for gold plating for the golden canopy of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.

The President made this donation in response to a request made by the Mahanayake Theros of the Malwathu and Asgiri chapters. The President handed over the relevant cheque in this regard to Kandy District Secretary H.M.P. Hitisekara at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday.

The golden canopy was offered to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic by former President R. Premadasa and it has been placed over the main shrine.

In 1998 the golden canopy sustained damage from an LTTE bomb and in 2001 it was fully restored.

The golden canopy was scheduled to be reconstructed after 16 years from that date and the financial donation made by President Sirisena will be utilised for this purpose.