LOOK: A preset pilgrimage route around predominantly Buddhist Sri Lanka ultimately leads to Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy, where the most sacred relic—a tooth said to belong to Buddha—is enshrined. Every day, the temple welcomes an extraordinary number of visitors who celebrate the ideal life of the religious teacher and his timeless virtues with the same fervor as the Hajj in Mecca or any other major holy expedition around the world.

Photos by Vernon Velasco