Sri Lanka's powerful Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was guest of honour at the opening of aBuddhist Brigade training school, and referred to the monks as those who "protect our country, religion and race".
Step in line with numerous pilgrims in Kandy's Unesco-rated Sacred City to visit the Dalada Maligawa, also known as the Temple of the Tooth and home to the country's most important Buddhist relic - allegedly a tooth of the Buddha.