Esala Perahera is the grand festival with elegant costumes held in July and August in
Kandy, Sri Lanka.
This historical procession is held annually to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic of
Lord Buddha, which is housed at the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy.
A unique symbol of Sri Lanka, the procession consists of many traditional local dances
such as fire-dances, whip-dances, Kandyan dances and various other cultural dances,
in addition to the elephants who are usually adorned with lavish garments.
The festival ends with the traditional diya-kepeema ritual, a water cutting ceremony which is
held at the Mahaweli River at Getambe, Kandy.
History
The Esala is believed to be a fusion of two separate but interconnected "Peraheras" – The
Esala and Dalada.
The Esala Perahera, which is thought to date back to the 3rd century BC, was a ritual enacted
to request the gods for rainfall.
The Dalada Perahera is believed to have begun when the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha
was brought to Sri Lanka from India during the 4th century CE, eight hundred years after
the passing away of Lord Buddha.
According to tradition, the Tooth Relic was taken in procession to Sri Lanka by Princess
Hemamala & Prince Dantha.
Modern Perahera The Modern Perahera dates back to the reign
of the Kandyan King, Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe.
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.
In the absence of the king, a lay custodian called the "Diyawadana Nilame" was appointed
to handle routine administrative matters The Procession
The Kandy Esala Perahera begins with the Kap Situveema or Kappa, in which a sanctified
young Jackfruit tree 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 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 accompanied
by the Basnayake Nilames.
The relic casket, which is a substitute for the Tooth Relic, is placed inside the ransivige
affixed to the Maligawa Elephant, a 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.
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 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, also known as the Maha Devale.
It is situated in front of the main gate of the Natha Devale.
The fourth procession is from the Katharagama Devale which is on Kottugodalle Vidiya.
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, 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.
The commencement of the Devale Peraheras The placing of the casket on the tuskers back
The commencement of the Dalada Perahera The completion of the Perahera
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.
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.
Organization of the Perahera
The rituals connected with the Tooth Relic are conducted by Monks of the Malwatte Chapter|Malwatte
and Asgiriya Chapters of the Buddhist clergy in Sri Lanka.
It is the duty of the Diyawadana Nilame to organize the Perahera and thus he summons
the large number of officials of the Temple of the Tooth and entrusts them with various
ceremonial duties connected with the conducting of the Perahera.
He first gets the auspicious time from the Nekath Mohottala, the advisor on astrological
matters.
The task of organising the different types of drummers is handed over to the four officials
known as the Panikka Mura Baarakaruwo.
The Maligawa officials also meet the owners of the elephants due to take part in the Perahera.
The dance troupes are given time to prepare.
The Basnayake Nilames are then told to organise their processions.
See also Murugan
Diyawadana Nilame, Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kandy Nissanka Wijeyeratne
Raja External links
Guide to the Esala Perahera in Kandy Kandy Esela Perahera The Most Magnificent
Pageant Kandy and Kandy Perahera
Kandy and Esela Perahera Prerahera Photos.
The Kandy Esala Perahera