The Sacred Pageant

Among all the traditional pageants held in Sri Lanka, the Kandy Perahera is the most splendid and famous. It is called the Esala Perahera, because it is held in the month of Esala, which is the festival period of Gods. The pageant is a combination of the Dalada perahera which is held in honour of the Buddha's sacred Tooth Relic and the procession in honour of the gods. It was begun in the second century. It has lasted through eighteen centuries. However, during times of foreign domination and severe drought this Perahera was interrupted. The Dalada Perahera was originaly held in Anuradhapura, where the Tooth Relic was first kept. It wasduring the time of king Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe this Perahera was started in Kandy and held together with the procession of Gods.The Esala Perahera of the Gods, begins at the auspicious hour. In the first five days, it is held in the premises of the four devalas dedicated to the three Gods Natha, Vishnu and Kataragama and the Goddess Pattini. The next five days it joins the Dalada Perahera and goes through the streets of Kandy. During the last four days the Perahera is very grand and it is called the Randoli Perahera. 

            The Randoli Perahera is led by the Dalada Precession. The majestic elephant carries the sacred Tooth Relic on its back. The custodian of the Tooth Relic the Diyawadana Nilame walks in the procession in the midst of dancers, drummers and torch-bearers.This is followed by the processions of the four devales. The first is that of God Vishnu, who is considered as the protector of Buddhism in sri Lanka. Next comes the procession, of God Katharagama of unlike the Gods Vishnu and Natha, God Kataragama is said to be a God on earth and rules the southern part of the country. The last procession is in honour of Goddess Pattini. 

             This grand pageant ends with the day Perahera which moves down to the Mahaveli river where a ceremony is performed. A pot is filled with water and brought back to the devale where it is kept untill the following year. The Kandy Esala Perahera is an anual event witnessed by tens of thousands of people including foreign tourists.