During the 1817-1818 rising it was confiscated by the British authorities, but was restored to the monks of the old capital in 1850, when the pacification of the country had deprived it of any political or dynastic significance.

This supposed relic of the Buddha is kept in an innermost shrine which is reached after a tortuous passage through many corridors and staircases. It is contained in a nest of seven bell shaped shrines, gilded and set with gems, resting on a lotus flower of solid gold. The lay keepers of the temple stand guard over the precious relic night and day, and every evening a service is held at which the faithful are admitted to venerate the Tooth, to the accompaniment of singing and music. Visitors can attend these services, provided they maintain a properly courteous and respectful demeanour.

There are those who claim that the Tooth, which was examined while it was in British hands between 1818 and 1850, cannot, anatomically, be a human tooth. But whatever the truth of the matter the Tooth is now an established institution, with a recognised legal existence, possessing its own temple, its estates, its elephant stables and its staff of servants and attendants. The stricter sects of Buddhists, however, maintain an attitude of some reserve, recalling that the Buddha himself condemned the cult of relics.

The present temple dates in part from the 16th century. It was built by Wimala Dharma Suriya, destroyed by the Portuguese and later rebuilt on the original foundations. The great King Kirti Sri (1747-1780), a fervent Buddhist, had it restored and enlarged. The upturned corners of the roof point to cultural contacts with Siam, which at that period was the moving force in Ceylon's Buddhist revival. Near the main temple is the Octagon, which contains a library of old Oriental books.

The street which runs alongside the Temple, to the east of the entrance, leads to the Kandy Museum, with numerous stone slabs, statues and carved woodwork from ancient buildings. At the far end of a rectangular open space is the Kachcheri (the term applied since Moghul times to the administrative buildings and law courts of a capital city). This was the seat of the royal government until 1815. The Audience Hall (Magul Maduwa) of the last king (Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe) is a wooden building with fine carved pillars.