Why is the Esala Perahera Festival in Kandy a Unique Cultural Experience – View a Spiritual and Spellbinding Procession

There is no doubt that the Esala Perahera, or the Festival of the Tooth Relic, is amongst the grandest and most elaborate celebrations to be conducted in Sri Lanka, as well as the Buddhist world as a whole. Held in the city of Kandy each summer, this event honours Lord Buddha’s sacred tooth relic whilst also paying homage to some ancient Sri Lankan deities. Some of the reasons why this occasion is a not-to-be-missed cultural experience are described below. 

Origin of the festival

As you might expect, the Esala Perahera is deeply rooted in the distinctive culture of the nation. It is believed that this event happens to be a combination of a couple of distinct yet interrelated processions, namely the Dalada and Esala Peraheras. Of these, the Esala Perahera is considered to have originated as a ritual with a history stretching back to the 3rd century BC conducted to request deities for rainfall for agricultural purposes. Meanwhile, the Dalada Perahera honours Lord Buddha’s sacred tooth relic, which, according to tradition, was brought over to Sri Lanka from India in the 4th century. 

Significance of the relic 

It is believed that the tooth relic enshrined in Kandy’s Dalada Maligawa, or Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, was retrieved from the Buddha’s funeral pyre. It is thought that this priceless object was brought over to Sri Lanka by an Indian princess many centuries after the death of the Buddha. The king who ruled the nation at the time warmly welcomed the religious treasure, acknowledging its spiritual value and commencing a festival to honour the date that it was brought to the island. Interestingly, it was believed that whoever had possession of this relic had the right to govern Sri Lanka; accordingly, many rulers attempted to gain control of this priceless religious object. 

Ashan96, Perahera1, CC BY-SA 4.0

Festivities 

In proximity to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, there are a number of other shrines that are devoted to various deities; these places of worship may be considered to be Hindu in origin. Each of these temples sends out a separate procession during the perahera. These processions join the principal pageant to complete the Kandy Festival. The earlier parades of the festival are known as the Kumbal Perahera; they are followed by the more elaborate Randoli Perahera. When seeking the best resort in Kandy, consider an accommodation option from which you could easily visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic as well as experience the Esala Perahera (usually held in July or August), such as Aarunya Nature Resort. 

Entrancing features

Cannon fire indicates the commencement of the festival procession. Initially, you would see the torch bearers as well as the strikingly attired whip-wielders who use their whips to create a cracking sound. They are followed by drummers and bearers of Buddhist flags. Next, you will notice the musicians as well as the acrobats and dancers who whirl around energetically. Finally, come the priests and temple servants accompanied by elaborately caparisoned elephants. The focal point of the procession is probably the majestic tusker, which has been entrusted with the honour of carrying the replica of the casket in which the tooth relic is kept. 

Final rituals 

Naturally, the climax of the Esala Perahera is the final grand procession, where the replica of the casket is paraded atop the magnificent elephant known as the Maligawa Tusker. This enables all the observers to view the casket as it passes by. For the artistes and elephant owners who take part in this festival, participation is an honour passed down from one generation to the next.  At the time of dawn on the final day of the celebration, priests from each of the shrines make their way to the Mahaweli River to perform the 'diya-kapeema' or water-cutting ritual, where the water is symbolically cut with a sword. Another interesting fact is that the water obtained is kept until the following year’s festival.