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BEIJING, Dec 15 (AFP) - A Buddhist relic believed to be a 2,500-year-old tooth of the Sakyamuni Buddha was put on a plane for Bangkok Sunday after China agreed to lend it to Thailand, state media said.

Hundreds of Buddhists plus officials and representatives from both countries saw off the tooth "sarira" at the Beijing Capital Airport Sunday morning, the Xinhua news agency said.

A Royal Thai Air Force plane took the sarira to Bangkok along with two delegations from Thailand and China totalling 132 people, Xinhua said.

The tooth, housed in a golden miniature pagoda sealed by a bulletproof glass, will be worshipped in Thailand until February 28.

Earlier Sunday morning, more than 1,000 people attended a grand ceremony to escort the relic in Beijing's Lingguang Monastery where the relic is kept.

Sarira, remains from the cremation of a Buddha or a saintly monk, are regarded as treasured Buddhist relics.

After Sakyamuni (565-486 BC), the founder of Buddhism, was cremated some 2,500 years ago, a few relics were brought to China by monks.

According to historical documents, the tooth sarira is believed to be one of only two of Buddha's teeth in existence. The other tooth is in Sri Lanka, Xinhua said.

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