Kandy Esala Perahera - Sri lanka

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The kandy esala perahera one of the most colourful event in the world. The most important historical thing was this perahera celebration of the arrival of Sacred Relic of Tooth to Sri lanka. The King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe add the four Devala Peraharas and Dalada Perahara were amalgamated and were made series of Peraharas. This event is show mainly Sri lankan history, culture and also one of the most famous religious festival. This kandy perahera is held annually  in July/ August this is the months in which Kandy gets into a festive mood becaus of this perahera (procession) and this will be having 10 days continuously.

The starting event of this Annual kandy perahera is called planting of the ‘Kap’ (Kap situvima) at four devales of Natha, Maha vishnu, Kataragama and Pattini on the day following the new moon in Esala(July)

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The Sacred Tooth Relic starts with the “Kumbal Perahera” (Kumbal procession) this is the  first starting perahera in the Esala perahera. For the first 5 days this kumbal perahera will parade taken round the streets of Kandy.The temple chiefs wear their traditional white Kandyan dress to walk in the procession and Elephants, drummers and dancers will be seen in all these Peraheras.


The "Randoli Perahera" (Randoli procession) is continued after  five nights of the Kumbal Perahera. This parade the street for 5 days which is a tradition.The randoli Perahera goes on for five nights and the last night is the grandest of all and it’s called "Maha Randoli Perahera" (Grand Randoli Perahera) the Diyawadana Nilame wearing newly stitched in full traditional Kandyan dress costume and the casket containing the Buddha Relics is always carried by a tusker decorated with a is magnificent dress embedded with colored bulbs and this tusker is very special than other tuskers.
The first item or in other words leading in the perahera is the sound of whip crackers who crack their whips in rhythmic and they  telling for that the perahera is coming. Traditionally after the whip crackers comes the Peramune Rala on a tusker. The Peramune-rala is the one who sits on the first tusker in the perahera carrying the ‘sannasa’ taken with both of his hands.

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It is followed by the flag bearers, and there are different type of dancers. There are many famous dancing items such as kandiyan dancers, Leekeli, Coconut Flower Dancers, Hewsi, Ves, Fire Ball Dancers, Pantheru, Udekki, Savang and these dancers are  with years of experience. 1000s of dancers and drummers, over 85  caparisoned elephants, hundreds of flag bearers and torchbearers take part in each of the Peraheras. This Kandy Esala Perahera is the most beautiful and grand pageant of the Asia.