Buddha's sacred tooth relic was brought to the island from India and has remained in the possession of royalty. The relic was preserved in Kandy in a structure built by Vimmaladarmasurya, the capital's founder. It was then moved to a new and rebuilt structure by his successors. The temple is erected on top of the moat, and a stone s.tairTheway leads through a tunnel to the drummers' courtyard. A two-story building faces the visitor, the upper floor of which houses the gem-studded gold casket carrying the Buddha's sacred tooth relic