The first complete history of the Tooth Relic by Dr Dharmaratne Herath who was Director of the Institute of Aesthetic Studies of the University of Ceylon and lecturer in history at the University of Sri Jayawardhanapura has been researching this book for 50 years. He cites even the disparaging comments by some foreign scholars who tried to spread some fallacies about the destruction of the Tooth Relic by the Portuguese and that what is worshipped in Kandy today is not the original but a replica. He disproves these theories. He has brought out a comprehensive book tracing the story of the sacred tooth from the time of the Buddha’s death to the repository of the sacred relic now at the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy. While describing the different attributes of the relic he lays emphasis on its role in Sri Lankan politics from the kings of yesteryear to the politicians and rulers of today. The coffee table book is lavish with illustrations