POLICE have launched an investigation into a photo circulated on social media claiming to show a Buddha tooth relic, which has gone on display under tight security.
The Criminal Investigation Department was ordered to determine whether the widely-shared image was from the rare display of the relic, police said on Sunday.
Photography is strictly prohibited during the public viewing of the highly venerated relic, which went on display this month for the first time since March 2009.
Devotees are frisked before being allowed into the sacred area of the Temple of the Tooth in the central city of Kandy.
No bags are permitted while the use of mobile phones is also banned inside the temple.
“If someone took a photo inside the temple, it is a security lapse. There is a significant presence of plain-clothed officers inside the temple,” a police official said, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.
A police statement said detectives would investigate whether the photo had been taken by a worshipper during the current exhibition, or whether it was a doctored image.
Police estimated 125,000 people worshipped the relic on the first day of the display, which was open for two and a half hours.
On subsequent days, the exhibition is open for five and a half hours. The 10-day exhibition ends on April 27.
Sri Lanka’s majority Buddhist population believes that the Buddha’s left canine is more than a religious object – it is a symbol of state sovereignty.
Huge crowds visiting the Temple of the Tooth has led to traffic chaos in Kandy with thousands of devotees camping overnight to worship the relic. — AFP
