The Kandy Esala Perahera

This post isn’t sufficient to give you a good picture of what this Perahera is really like. I have tried my hardest to describe it to you as best I can, but it will never compare to witnessing this majestic event first hand. A ‘Perahera’ is a religious procession and the Kandy Esala Perahera is the biggest and most popular one in Sri Lanka. It is held in July and August. This year, I was lucky enough to join a group of my clients to view the Perahera from the Lake view balcony at the Queens Hotel. This is the best spot to view this colourful procession as you have an unobstructed view of the procession leaving the gates of the ‘Dalada Maligawa’ [the Temple of the Tooth Relic] in Kandy.

It is not just the procession that you will find fascinating; it is the crowd as well. Thousands of people come as early as they can and find the best possible spot on the pavement on the route of the Perahera and sit there until it’s over. In his book ‘Ceylon History in Stone’ when talking about the Kandy Perahera, R. Raven-Hart wrote: “for me, the most wonderful part of it is the crowd. I have never seen such a happy and considerate crowd, passing women and children to the front, waiting for hours in contented patience”.

The crowd awaiting the Perahera

Although now it is predominantly a Buddhist procession, at the beginning it was a Hindu festival that celebrated the Dewala Gods. The festival lasts for 15 days. The Dewala Peraheras are held on the first five nights. They take place inside the four Dewalas; Natha, Vishnu, Katharagama and Pattini. The next five nights consist of the Kumbal Perahera which is then followed by five nights of the Randoli Perahera which is bigger. The festival ends with the ‘Diya Kapeema’ or water cutting ceremony and the Day-Perahera. If you’re planning to watch this magnificent parade (and you should definitely add it to your bucket list), I suggest you try and make it for one of the Kumbal or Randoli Peraheras.

A loud cannon is shot to inform the city of Kandy of the start of the procession. From this point, the roads are closed and the path is cleared (and washed) for the procession and the crowd settles and eagerly awaits the parade in silence. It is led by whip crackers who can be heard from miles away. This is done to clear the path and to inform spectators that the procession is nearing. A surge of excitement ran down my spine when I first heard the niyanda-fibre whips being sounded. They finally came into view about fifteen minutes from the first time I heard them. They were followed by fire dancers and Buddhist flag bearers.

The whip crackers in action

The Fire dancers

Fire stunts

Flag Bearers

The first elephant then follows, ridden by the ‘Peramuna Rala’, the front official, dressed in traditional attire and carrying an Ola Book in his hands. It used to be a royal warrant for the procession, but now, it is a list of the Temple lands and service tenures.

The Front Official behind the sword bearers.

He was followed by several groups of Kandian drummers and dancers, elephants of all sizes dressed in colourful, lit up and heavily embellished cloaks and other dancers and flag bearers.

Kandian Drummers

Decorated Elephants

Balancing spinning disks on sticks

Ancient martial arts fighter dancers

Then, the Maligawa Tusker carrying the Sacred Tooth Relic on its back rounded the corner and was followed by the ‘Diyawadana Nilame’, the lay custodian in charge of the relic and the whole procession. This ends the ‘Maligawa’ part of the Perahera.

The Maligawa Tusker and the Sacred Tooth Relic

 

The Diyawadana Nilame

The next four parts of the Perahera were for the four dewalas; Natha, Vishnu, Katharagama and Pattini, each with its own collection of drummers, dancers, elephants, relics and ‘Basnayake Nilames’ (lay custodians for the Dewalas).

The Perahera begins at an auspicious time between 6 PM and 8 PM and ends at around 10.30 PM. Another interesting feature of it is that people of all ages take part. You can see small kids, around 7 or 8 years old dancing with fire batons as well as old men taking part in the very active and fast Kandian Dance routines. Another unique feature of the Kandy Esala Perahera is that only men are a part of the procession except for the Pattini Dewala part which has women, because the Hindu Deity, ‘Pattini Amma’ was a woman.

Kawadi Dancers in the Dewala portion of the Perahera

The youngest firedancer

Like I mentioned before, I have not done justice to this event as the parade and the feelings you experience while watching it such as the build-up and the anticipation as well as the marvel, can’t be put in to words. It is something that is indescribable. This post in essence is a teaser that aims to make you want to experience it for yourself!