Kandy Esala Perahera 2018 – The Festival of the Tooth Relic

Daniel Liabeuf, Elephants of Kandy Esala Perahera (2), CC BY-SA 3.0

The Esala Perahera is one of the most important religious rituals for Buddhists in Sri Lanka. This is because the Perahera is all about paying homage to the sacred tooth relic. The sacred tooth of Lord Buddha is taken in procession on top of an elephant who has purely devoted its whole life to just the Tooth Relic. Along with the main elephant comes the rest of the procession which consists of more elephants all dressed up for the occasion and dances and drummers in colourful costumes.

This festival of The Tooth Relic is usually celebrated annually in July or August on a full moon night according to the Buddhist calendar. The ceremony is concluded with the diya kapeema custom where the water is cut so that the people may obtain a good harvest. Both locals and tourists who happen to be in Kandy or lodging in a Kandy city hotel take the opportunity to come and witness the colourful dances. Hotels such as Hotel Topaz tend to be full in these months, so it is advisable to book your accommodation early for those who plan on watching the festival this year.