Kandy Perahera - Esala Perahera, Sri Lanka.

Kandy Perahera

Location: Kandy, Sri Lanka
Period: July/August of each year; Year 2012: 19th July 2012 to 2nd August 2012 [Commences on Esala Full Moon Poya Day on the month of July and Concludes on Nikini Full Moon Poya Day on the month of August.]

Dates of the Kandy Esala Perahera 2012:
From 19th July 2012 to 02nd August 2012

Date	Event
2012-07-19	Kapsituvima (Planting of the 'Kapa')
2012-07-19 to 2012-07-22	Internal Perahera of Four Devales
2012-07-23	1st Kumbal Perahera
2012-07-24	2nd Kumbal Perahera
2012-07-25	3rd Kumbal Perahera
2012-07-26	4th Kumbal Perahera
2012-07-27	5th Kumbal Perahera
2012-07-28	1st Randoli Perahera
2012-07-29	2nd Randoli Perahera
2012-07-30	3rd Randoli Perahera
2012-07-31	4th Randoli Perahera
2012-08-01	5th Randoli Perahera
2012-08-02	Day Perahera (Water Cutting Ceremony "Diya Kepeema")

Kandy Perahera Tickets :

For advance purchase, transportation to Kandy and tours in Sri Lanka contact Lakpura Travels (Pvt.) Ltd., Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

The best time to see Kandy Esala Perahera: the last two nights
Festival: the grandest Buddhist procession of Sri Lanka
Significance: display of Sacred tooth Relic of Buddha

The timings of the Kandy Perahera are notified by no less than booming cannon fire, which is heard all over the city of Kandy.
1. The commencement of the festival
2. The placing of the golden casket upon the back of the tusker.
3. The commencement of the procession of Kandy Perahera
4. The completion of the Kandy Perahera

The order of the procession of Kandy Perahera

Kandy Perahera procession features five processions organized by the Maligawa Perahera or Perahera of the Sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic, the most venerated Buddhist temple of Sri Lanka and four shrines dedicated to Hindu Gods and a Goddess, i.e. the Shrine of God Natha, the Shrine of God Maha Vishnu, the Shrine of God Katharagama and the Shrine of Goddess Pattini. By 8pm, the Maligawa Perahera or the procession of Sacred Temple of the Tooth of the Buddhists takes the lead and joined by the processions of four Hindu shrines.

The second procession is from the shrine dedicated to God Natha. The 14th Century shrine that faces the Sri Dalada Maligawa or Temple of the Tooth is said to be the oldest building in Kandy.

The third is from the shrine dedicated to God Vishnu. Vishnu Devale also known as the Maha Devale is located close to the Natha Devale.

The fourth procession is from the Kataragama Devale dedicated to the God of Skanda, the deity of Kataragama. Kataragama shrine is located on Kottugodalle Street of Kandy. This procession includes Kavadi, the peacock dance, in which the pilgrim dancers carry semicircular wooden contraptions studded with peacock feathers on their shoulders.

The fifth and final procession is from the shine dedicated to goddess Pattini. Pattini shrine is located to the west of the Natha Devale.

Maligawa Perahera or Perahera of the Sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic is comprised as follows:

At the forefront of the procession are the Whip Crackers. The cracking of whips all the way from the very beginning to end of the chosen path of Perahera signifies the approach of the procession.

Immediately following the whip crackers are the Flag Bearers carrying are the standards and the flags of the different Provinces and the Temples in single file on both sides of the road.

The official called Peramunerala riding on the first elephant follows next carrying the register of the Sacred Temple of the Tooth at Kandy.

Next on the procession are the Drummers playing an array of traditional drums and blowing traditional flutes. While the drummers play in explosive style, the teams of dancers leap and bound.

The hoards of drummers and dancers are followed up by the officer in charge of the Elephants, of course mounted on a caparisoned and decorated tusker. During the ancient and medieval times of Sri Lanka, the officer in charge of the Kings’s stable had been a high ranking minister of the king. To date the officer in charge of the elephants called Gajanayaka Nilame carries the silver goad called Ankusa that symbolize his authority.

Following Gajanayake Nilame is another officer of the temple mounted on a tusker: the Kariyakorawnarala, is the officer in charge of drummers and dancers. He is also responsible for minor functions at the Sacred Temple of the Tooth. Arrival of Kariyakorawnarala set the stage for center of attraction: the Maligawa Tusker

Caparisoned, robed and illuminated, the tusker of the temple stepping in supreme grace and great pride carrying the resplendent golden casket called Ransivige sheltered with a canopy. The golden casket contains the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha. The beast’s sense of the solemnity of the procession and the reverence, in which the Sacred Tooth Relic is held by the human populace, it seems, could hardly be bettered even by a human itself. Held high over the Tusker is canopy; unrolled on to the way of the Tusker is a ream of white cloth called pavada. The devotees, spectators, the foreign tourists and all distinguished guests stand steadfast while the Maligawa tusker carrying the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha passes them.

The Tusker is followed by two long chains of vibrant dancers, on each side of the road, facing each other with a team of drummers in the middle forming another column. At the end of the retinue is the Custodian of the Temple of the Tooth titled “Diyawadana Nilame”, dressed in traditional regalia of the high officials of the kings, who reigned at the medieval kingdom of Kandy. Diyawadana Nilame is attended by Murawadu (lance bearers), Wadana tal-athu (sunshade bearers and umbrella-bearers) as well as the other officials of the Sacred Temple of the Tooth.

History of the Kandy Perahera

It is believed the Kandy Perahera has its origin with the arrival of Prince Danta and Princess Hemamala, the son-in-law and daughter of King Guhasiva of Kalinga, India to Sri Lanka during the reign of King Kirthisiri Meghawanna (305-331 AD). Following the decree of King Kirthisiri Meghawanna that the Relic be taken round the city of Anuradhapura once a year, the Esala Perehera pageant had been followed by the succession of kings, though with interruptions caused by the foreign invasions. The most revealing narration on the Esala Perehera is found in the book written by the Chinese pilgrim Fa Hien who visited Sri Lanka in the 5th century A.D.

The intermittent invasions by the Dravidian kingdoms in the southern Sri Lanka was to result in the shifting of the seat of the kingdom from Anuradhapura to Polonnaruwa, then to Dambadeniya and other cities. In each retreat, a new temple of tooth was built to enshrine Sacred Tooth Relic. Finally, since the shift of the capital to Kandy, the Sacred Tooth Relic has been undisturbed. Today the Temple of the Tooth at Kandy houses the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha and naturally it has been there that the annual Kandy Esala Perehera Pageant is held in every year.

For advance purchase Kandy Perahera Tickets, please contact Lakpura Travels (Pvt.) Ltd., Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

Hotels for your holidays during Kandy Esala Perahera Pageant Procession

Kandy Esala Perahera 2012 - Rates of Queens Hotel, Kandy.
KUMBAL PERAHERA *- (23-07-2012 to 27-07-2012)*

Room Type		Double (USD)		Triple (USD)
Room Type		Half Board	Full Board	Half Board	Full Board
01st Floor	With Balcony View	Sold Out	Sold Out	Sold Out	Sold Out
	Without View Including Seats	220	247	305	344
	Non View Excluding Seats	143	169	188	227
02nd Floor	With Window View	Sold Out	Sold Out	Sold Out	Sold Out
	Without View Including Seats	214	240	305	344
	Non View Excluding Seats	130	149	201	227

RANDOLI PERAHERA - (28-07-2012 to 31-07-2012)

Room Type		Double (USD)		Triple (USD)
Room Type		Half Board	Full Board	Half Board	Full Board
01st Floor	With Balcony View	Sold Out	Sold Out	Sold Out	Sold Out
	Without View Including Seats	253	279	344	383
	Non View Excluding Seats	175	201	266	305
02nd Floor	With Window View	Sold Out	Sold Out	Sold Out	Sold Out
	Without View Including Seats	253	279	344	383
	Non View Excluding Seats	175	201	266	305

RANDOLI PERAHERA - (Final Night 01-08-2012)

Room Type		Double (USD)		Triple (USD)
Room Type		Half Board	Full Board	Half Board	Full Board
01st Floor	With Balcony View	Sold Out	Sold Out	Sold Out	Sold Out
	Without View Including Seats	312	338	351	390
	Non View Excluding Seats	195	221	299	338
02nd Floor	With Window View	Sold Out	Sold Out	Sold Out	Sold Out
	Without View Including Seats	312	338	416	455
	Non View Excluding Seats	195	221	299	338

VIEVING FACILITIES AT THE FRONT PORCH

Description	Rates Per Person
Kumbal Perahera	USD 55
Kumbal Perahera	USD 75
Randoli Perahera – Final Night	USD 80

Related Videos for Kandy Perahera - Esala Perahera


Kandy Perahera - Esala Perahera		Diya Kepeema and the Day Perahera

Kandy Perahera - Esala Perahera Highlights

Sri Dalada Maligawa during the festival (Sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic )


Sri Dalada Maligawa

The Randoli Perahera

The Randoli Perahera begins after five nights of the Kumbal Perahera. Randoli refers to palanquins on which the Queens of the ruling Kings traditionally traveled.


Kandy Esala Perahera

Diya Kepeema and the Day Perahera

After a further five nights of the Randoli Perahera, the pageant ends with the Diya Kepeema, which is the water cutting ceremony at the Mahaweli River at Getambe, a town a few miles from Kandy. A Day Perahera is held to mark the ceremony.


Kandy Day Perahera

Modern Perahera

The Modern Perahera dates back to the reign of the Kandyan King Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe (1747 - 1781 AD). During these times, the Tooth Relic was considered private property of the King and the public never got a chance to worship it.

However, King Rajasinghe decreed that the Relic be taken in procession for the masses to see and venerate.

After the Kandyan Kingdom fell to the British in 1815, the custody of the Relic was handed over to the Maha Sanga (the Buddhist Clergy). In the absence of the king, a lay custodian called the "Diyawadana Nilame" was appointed to handle routine administrative matters.

Kandy Esala Perahera Pageant Procession
The Kandy Esala Perahera begins with the Kap Situveema or Kappa, in which a sanctified young Jack tree (Artocarpus integrifolia) is cut and planted in the premises of each of the four Devales dedicated to the four guardian gods Natha, Vishnu, Katharagama and the goddess Pattini. Traditionally it was meant to shower blessing on the King and the people.

The Kumbal Perahera

For the next five nights, the "Devale Peraheras" take place within the premises of the four Devales with the priest of each Devale taking the pole every evening, accompanied by music and drumming, flag and canopy bearers, spearman and the Ran Ayudha, the sacred insignia of the Gods.

On the sixth night, the Kumbal Perahera begins and continues on for five days. Initially, the Devale Peraheras assemble in front of the Sri Dalada Maligawa (or Temple of the Tooth, which is Sri Lanka's most important Buddhist Shrine and where the Buddha's Sacred Tooth Relic has been kept since the 16th Century) with their insignias placed on the ransivige (a dome-like structure) accompanied by the Basnayake Nilames (the lay custodians of the Devales).

The relic casket, which is a substitute for the Tooth Relic, is placed inside the ransivige affixed to the Maligawa Elephant, a tusker.

At about 8pm, the Maligawa Perahera joins the awaiting Devale Peraheras and leads the procession. Whip-crackers and fireball acrobats clear the path, followed by the Buddhist flag bearers. Then, riding on the first elephant, is the official called Peramuna Rala (Front Official). He is followed by Kandyan Drummers and Dancers who enthrall the crowd, and are themselves followed by Elephants and other groups of musicians, dancers and flag bearers. A group of singers dressed in white heralds the arrival of the Maligawa Tusker carrying the Sacred Tooth Relic. The Diyawadana Nilame (traditionally required to do everything in his power to ensure rain in the correct season) walks in traditional Kandyan-clothed splendor after the tusker.

The second procession is from the Natha Devale, which faces the Sri Dalada Maligawa and is said to be the oldest building in Kandy, dating back to the 14th Century.

The third is from the Vishnu Devale (Vishnu being a Hindu god), also known as the Maha Devale. It is situated in from of the main gate of the Natha Devale.

The fourth procession is from the Katharagama Devale (dedicated to the God of Katharagama, identified with the warrior god Skanda) which is on Kottugodalle Vidiya (a street in Kandy). This procession includes Kavadi, the peacock dance, in which the pilgrim-dances carry semicircular wooden contraptions studded with peacock feathers on their shoulders.

The fifth and final procession is from the Pattini Devale (Pattini being a goddess associated with the cure of infectious diseases and called upon in times of drought and famine), which is situated to the West of the Natha Devale. This is the only procession that has women dances.

The following important times are announced by the firing of cannonballs, which can be heard all across Kandy.
1. The commencement of the Devale Perahera
2. The placing of the casket on the tuskers back
3. The commencement of the Dalada Perahera
4. The completion of the Perahera

Just prior to the commencement of Randoli Perahera at kandy


Just prior to the commencement of Randoli Perahera at kandy

Map of Kandy Perahera - Esala Perahera

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