Kandy Esela Pageant in Sri Lanka
The Kandy Esala Perahera takes place every summer and makes for a spectacular addition to your holiday in Sri Lanka.The dates vary according to the lunar calendar and official guidelines. The dates for the Esala Kandy Perahera 2022 have not yet been officially confirmed, but we anticipate they will be as follows:
02-05 August – Kumbal Perahera
06th August – Final Kumbal Perahera
07-10th August – Randoli Perahera
11th August – Final Randoli Perahera
12th August – Day Perahera
History of the Kandy Esala Perahera
The Kandy Esala Perahera is a commemoration of the arrival of Buddha’s Sacred Tooth Relic to Sri Lanka. It used to be kept in an area called Udeni (present-day Odisha) in India but when war brought upon a dark time there, the local prince and princess, Dantha and Hemamala, fled the country to get the tooth relic to safety, hiding it in the princess’ hair. Arriving in the 4th Century, the pair journeyed to Sri Lanka during the reign of King Kithsirimevan and it was he who first organized a grand procession for the people to see the Sacred Tooth Relic. The tradition was born.
The procession itself has evolved over time. For example, it’s thought that King Kithsirimevan held the Perahera (procession) in the month of March but the Dalada Perehera was merged with an annual procession that was conducted in the month of ‘Esala’ (July/August) wishing for rain.
The procession includes traditional dancers and drummers, flag bearers of the provinces of the old Kandyan kingdom, the Nilames wearing their traditional dresses, torch bearers and also the grandly attired elephants.
The Traditions of the Kandy Esala Perahera
After the tradition reached the Kandyan period (around 1600 AD), a lot changed. The procession became more influenced by Hindu customs as well as the Buddhist traditons. This is because one of the Kandyan Kings married a South Indian (Naikkar) Princess who was Hindu. This particular King didn’t have children so following the South Indian tradition, the right to the throne was then given to the Hindu Queen’s brother. So Sri Lankans;had a Hindu South Indian King who also married a South Indian Princess and this trend continued for a time.
Whilst the Sacred Tooth relic of the Buddha and its temple were always in the forefront, there were four main Hindu Devala (shrines of worship dedicated to particular figures)that were established in close proximity to the temple and considered very important. From around 1775, during the reign of King Keerthi Sri Rajasingha, the four devales (temples) also took part in the Perahera and that is the start of the Esala Dalada Perahera in Kandy we know today.
If you wish to visit & see this lovely Pageant, book in advance, you can reserve seats in the temporary viewing areas for the larger Kandy Perahera, which are erected along the main city streets. These sell out incredibly quickly so do book in advance, the earlier the better – the same goes for the hotels!
As a once in a lifetime experience, this annual event will truly set your summer holiday apart!
Contact Ovation Travels to see whip-crackers, fireball acrobatics, drumming, traditional music, dancing and procession of the famous Sacred Tooth Relic on the back of an elephant in the Kandy Esala Perahera.
