The Aadi Vel Festival in Colombo This Month – In Honour of Lord Murugan

Image credit- Mahinthan So, முருகன் வீதி உலா, CC BY-SA 3.0

The annual Aadi Vel Festival celebrated by Hindu devotees will begin at the end of July in Colombo. The festival honours Lord Murugan also referred to as the Hindu God Skanda and features colourful parades along the streets. There are two main parades; one begins at the Sammangodu Sri Kathirvelayutha Swamy Kovil in Pettah within easy reach of Cinnamon Red Colombo and ends at the Sri Manikka Vinayagar Kovil in Bambalapitiya. The other commences at the Kathiresan Kovil in Pettah and traverses the streets till it reaches the New Kathiresan Kovil which is also located in Bambalapitiya.

For those wishing to view the Aadi Vel Festival in Sri Lanka, hotels can be easily found close to the routes taken by the parades. Apart from a chariot that carries a statue of Lord Murugan, the parade is also known for its ceremonial dances, traditional singing and certain rituals that involve devotees piercing various parts of their bodies and cheeks.