“Known as the Festival of the Tooth, the colorful Kandy Esala Perahera is probably the most outlandish festival in Sri Lanka” ~ CNN Travel.
Sri Lankans often assert that their country hosts more festivals than any other, and while it’s challenging to verify this claim, the sheer volume and significance of the island’s religious and cultural celebrations are undeniable. The current calendar includes 25 public holidays, covering a range of religious observances for Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, and Muslims, as well as secular events like May Day and Independence Day. The lunar month of Esala is renowned for its festivals and peraheras across the island. The most renowned and spectacular of these is the Esala Perahera Kandy, celebrated over the ten days leading up to Esala Poya day (late July or early August).
Introduction to Esala Perahera
This festival has its origins in ancient Anuradhapura, where the Tooth Relic was paraded through the city. This tradition endures today, with the relic at the forefront of a grand procession that circles the city each night.
As the festival progresses, the Esala perahera Kandy grows increasingly elaborate, culminating on the final night with a magnificent display featuring hundreds of elephants and thousands of performers, including dancers, drummers, fire-eaters, and acrobats. This extravagant spectacle is one of a kind in all of Asia.
During the week of celebrations at the full moon in the month of Esala (July or August), Kandy is alive with a picturesque flurry of activity. This unique festival in Sri Lanka, known as the Maha Nuwara Esala Dalada Perahera, is renowned for its night-time processions.
The Significance of Esala Perahera
Initially, these parades showcased effigies, statues, or symbols of deities. These are similar to those found in India or Tamil areas of Sri Lanka. Before the reforms by Kirti Sri (1747-1780), they honored the gods of the dewalas according to ancient traditions. Siamese monks who reformed Buddhist practices in Sri Lanka convinced Kirti Sri to refocus these celebrations from what they saw as pagan rites to the veneration of the Buddha. Realizing they couldn’t completely eliminate the festivities, they redirected them to align with Buddhist principles.
Since then, the Esala Perahera Kandy has evolved into a celebration of the sacred Tooth Relic and Kandy’s premier Buddhist festival. For seven nights, processions emerge from the dewalas. Each deity, symbolized by a golden emblem carried on an elephant, comes to pay homage to the Buddha. The sixth night features the Maha Perahera or Great Procession. This is the most solemn, including processions from the four dewalas and the Dalada Maligawa.
The Magnificence of the Event
The event draws thousands of participants and onlookers. It features:
- Torch Bearers
- Musicians in ornate costumes or gilded breastplates
- Jugglers and dancers in various attire
All adorn themselves with jewelry, both real and imitation, sparkling under the torchlight. - Up to 200 elephants, adorned with vibrant and colorful decorations, carrying attendants, Buddhist monks, dignitaries, and symbols of various deities.
- The final and most majestic elephant bears a richly decorated howdah. It holds the Tooth Relic, flanked by two other elephants and surrounded by a ceremonial guard of musicians and dancers.
The celebrations echo the grandeur of the 18th-century Kandy royal ceremonies, featuring a cacophony of drums, horns, and trumpets, the crack of royal whips, elaborate costumes, dazzling decorations, torchlight, and the lively performances of dancers and jugglers, all infused with the aroma of incense and jasmine water.
How to make the Esala Perahera Kandy a part of your Sri Lanka holiday package
This year, the Esala Perahera is scheduled for the 10th to 20th of August 2024. Plan your visit around that time of the year and you can experience this stunning event first hand! Kandy is a very central location and we can be schedule this en-route to the hill country, or towards the east coast, south coast and also if you are keen on exploring central Sri Lanka such as Sigiriya and Anuradhapura. Just get in touch with us at Travel Treasures Sri Lanka. We will figure out the best way to include Kandy in your Sri Lanka holiday itinerary.