The Esala Perahera to be held in Kandy – A vibrant religious parade

The Esala Perahera is an important sacred ceremony for Buddhist in Sri Lanka. This colourful celebration is all about paying reverence to the sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha. This relic is considered a treasure by devotees and is taken in a vibrant pageant on top of an elephant who has virtuously dedicated its entire life for just the purpose of carrying the Tooth Relic. After the main elephant leaves the premises, the rest of the procession consisting of more elephants all adorned for the event and dancers and drummers in rich costumes.

This festival of The Tooth Relic is celebrated annually in July or August on a night when the moon is full conferring to the Buddhist calendar. The ceremony is ended with the diya kapeema tradition where the water is cut so that the people may gain good harvest. Both locals and tourists get their lodging ready at Sri Lanka hotels the likes of Heritance Hotels & Resorts well in advance to witness the festival.