Preparations underway for Sri Lanka’s Kandy Perahera

More than 100 elephants draped in colorful finery will lead thousands of devotees in 10 days of celebration at this year’s Kandy Perahera, one of Buddhism’s biggest annual festivals. 

Held in Sri Lanka’s hill capital, Kandy, the festival honors Lord Buddha’s sacred tooth relic - enshrined in the city’s main temple - and showcases temple chiefs, Kandyan dancers, flame dancers, musicians and torchbearers who follow the elephants through the streets in spectacular processions.

Sri Lankans from all over the country and an ever increasing number of foreign visitors are expected to witness the Perahera this year. They will line the streets for a series of day and night processions from August 10, culminating in the spectacular finale of the medieval pageant on August 20. 

The Kandy Perahera, or Esala Perahera, named after the lunar month in which it is held, is widely regarded as one of the most magnificent of the Buddhist festivals held anywhere in the world.

“This festival stirs an amazing emotional response from participants and onlookers alike for its pageantry and splendor,” said Sri Lanka Tourist Board Chairman, Mr. Udaya Nanayakkara.

“It is impossible to describe the impact of 100 brightly festooned elephants accompanied by thousands of performers, drummers, dancers and musicians. It is a sensational sight and once-in-a-lifetime experience for visitors to the country,” he said.

The highlight of the nightly procession is the brightly festooned Maligawa Tusker, the biggest elephant in the procession, entrusted with carrying the Perahera Karanduwa, a replica of the tooth casket enshrined in the temple in the 4th Century AD. 

The sacred tooth itself is kept safely within the confines of seven caskets in the inner sanctum of Kandy’s Dalada Maligawa and is never removed from the temple.

The history of the tooth relic’s passage to Sri Lanka is a fascinating one. Following his cremation, Lord Buddha’s remains were divided and entrusted to local rulers who enshrined them throughout Northern India. 

After eight centuries in India, the sacred tooth relic was taken to Sri Lanka, hidden within the elaborate hairdo of the daughter of an Indian King in order to escape the attention of passers by.

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