Kandy Esala Perahara; A national spectacle.

Via- pixabay,CC0,DEZLB

Celebrated in the months of July and August the Esala Perehara is the grandest Buddhist celebration in Sri Lanka. The event features traditional dancers, drummers, fireball dancers and lavishly decorated elephants and tuskers parading the streets of Kandy centering the ‘Magul Atha’ carrying the sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. The festival is held to honor the sacred tooth relic and the four guardian gods ‘Natha, Vishnu, Katharagama and Pattini’. The rituals begin with the Kap Situweema ceremony and end with the water cutting ceremony. The dates of the said rituals are set out by the Temple of Tooth Relic. Staying at a hotel in Kandy , among the various choices including Kings Pavilion Kandy will provide you an opportunity to witness this spectacular sight. The Esala Perehara this year commenced on the 29th of July and came to an end on the 8th of August 2017 after parading the streets for 15 days.