| Show Great Tooth of Buddha Honored in Gay Pageant Pac nt One of If Indias India's most elaborate fes fes- festivals festIvals festivals Is the tho pageant of the Sacred Tooth of Buddha The lasts for ten days das ending on the night of the full moon Richly adorned chiefs of ot masked dancers gaily decorated elephants brilliantly illuminated streets and md colorful processions turn the city into a Q festive center On the last night the climax is reached with one magnificent pro pro- cession Hundreds Hundred pf pt elephants take part and full dress regalia is worn by the chiefs In front of ot the ele ele- elephants elephants elephants whips are cracked and tom tom- toms and drums continually contin ally throb Ever so often the procession halts while while- special dances take place One elephant attracts more at attention at- at attention attention than its fellows for on its back is carried earned the golden casket of the sacred tooth of Buddha This sacred tooth is said to have been taken from the pyre and is held In reverence by third one-third of the worlds world's total population The tooth is paraded around the streets and then taken back to the temple Sur Sur- Surrounded Surrounded Surrounded rounded byLa bila a moat the temple dates back to the Thirteenth century The library contains ancient manu manu- manuscripts manuscripts manuscripts scripts written with an nn iron stylus on leaves |
