The seventh day of a special exposition of the sacred tooth relic, ‘Siri Dalada Vandanawa’, continues to draw overwhelming crowds to Kandy, with an estimated 4,00,000 devotees queuing across the city to witness the sacred relic.

In response to the massive influx, the Sri Lanka Police have introduced a special identification badge system to help manage and recognise devotees participating in the religious observance. The initiative came into effect last night to maintain order and ensure safety amid the surging numbers.

Media reports highlight that a devotee who was waiting in line has died of a heart attack.

The Deputy Inspector General of Police for Kandy and Matale, Sudath Masinghe, was quoted as saying that the victim collapsed while waiting among thousands of devotees lining up to pay homage at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.

Due to the sheer volume of devotees arriving in Kandy, police have requested the public to refrain from visiting the city for ‘Siri Dalada Vandanawa’ today and tomorrow, citing concerns over crowd control and public safety.

Meanwhile, the Department of Railways has temporarily suspended the special train services between Colombo Fort and Kandy, which had been operating specifically to accommodate devotees of ‘Siri Dalada Vandanawa’.

According to Railway General Manager Dhammika Jayasundara, the suspension was implemented at the request of the police in light of the escalating crowd situation.