The sacred
relic of the tooth of the Buddha was brought to Sri Lanka during the reign of King Kithsiri Mevan who welcomed it with great respect, ushered them to his capital and enshrined it in
Meghagiri Viharaya, presently known as
Isurumuniya in Anuradhapura. In order to honor the sacred tooth relic, an annual procession called
dalada perahera begins from the era of this king. Another creation of King Siri Meghavanna is the Egoda Kelaniya (Kithsiri Mewan Rajamaha Viharaya) temple. Its stupa enshrines the sacred Jalasatika Dhatu (නානකඩය or the bathing sarong of Lord Buddha). Remarkably, the surface of the stupa is said to remain moist throughout the year. Near the stupa is a Siripathula (footprint of the Buddha), which devotees are encouraged to worship when visiting. The temple also houses a unique Wel-Bodhi tree, where meditation is believed to yield profound spiritual benefits. The Thonigala Rock Inscriptions (303–331 AD) (තෝනිගල සෙල්ලිපිය), created during his reign, provide evidence of an ancient banking system in which harvests were used to finance the maintenance of temples—possibly the oldest banking system in the world—while also supporting the chanting of the
Ariyawansa Deshanawa. ==In popular culture==