Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Kandy, Sri Lanka
 

Kandy Esala Perahera begins

Esala Day Perahera
Esala Day Perahera

The historic Kandy Esala Perahera of the Sri Dalada Maligawa will commences with the Kumbal Perahera and concludes with the final Randoli Perahera. The Day Perahera will be on August 6 said the Diyawadana Nilame of the Sri Dalda Maligawa Nilanga Dela Bandara.

The planting of the Kap will take place on July 22.

Diyawadana Nilame Nilanga Dela Bandara said with the ending of the thirty year war and normalcy being restored, a very large gathering is expected for this year's Esala Perahera. Large crowds will throng to see the first Kumbal Perahera.

This year the route of the first Kumbal Perahera will be extended. It will start from the Maligawa Square and proceed along Dalada Veediya, D.S. Senanayake Veediya (Trincomalee Street), Pansala Para, Deva Veediya, Srimath Bennet Soysa Veediya, Kotugodella Veediya, Raja Veediya and back to Maligawa Square.

With the planting of the Kap, the Inner Perahera will commence by parading within the Sri Dalada Complex before it takes to the streets with the Kumbal perahera.

The Diyawadana Nilame said that the annual Perahera of Sri Vishnu Devale of Devinuwara and the Esala Festival of the Ruhunu Kataragama Devale will also be held at the same time and there will be a heavy demand for elephants to participate in the Peraheras.

Despite this 80 - 100 elephants will participate in the final Randoli Perahera.

The Water Cutting will take place in the early hours at the Getambe ford of the Mahaweli Ganga and conclude with the Day Perahera.

Courtesy: The Sunday Observer of Sunday, 19 July 2009