One of the famous Festival in Sri Lanka is Esala. Brief and basic idea of it is in this small presentation. Learn about Sri Lanka.

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UCA/HM/2017/F/02

2. CONTENT
1. About Kandy Esala Perahera
2. Modern Perahera
3. Video Clip 01
4. Some of the main events in Perahara
5. Notable Sacred Casket Bearer Tuskers
6. The Procession
7. The Kumbal Perahera
8. The Randoli Perahera
9. Video Clip 02
10. Diya Kepeema and the Day Perahera
11. Conclusion
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3. About Kandy Esala Perahera
• Esala Perahera (the festival of the tooth of Lord
Buddha) is the grand festival.
• It is very grand with elegant costumes.
Happening in July or August in Kandy,
depending on the Esala full moon.
• It has become a unique symbol of Sri Lanka.
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4. • It is a Buddhist festival consisting of dances and
nicely decorated Elephants.
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5. • There are fire-dances, whip-dances, Kandian
dances and various other cultural dances. The
elephants are usually adorned with lavish
garments.
• The Esala Perahera in Kandy is believed to be a
fusion of two separate but interconnected
"Peraheras" (Processions) – The Esala and
Dalada. 5

6. • 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 AD.
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7. • The Tooth Relic was taken in procession to Sri
Lanka by Princess Hemamala & Prince Dantha.
• It was first taken to Anuradhapura and then to keep
it safe, it was moved around Sri Lanka.
Temples are built in Polannaruwa,
Kurunegal, Dambadeniya and
Yapahuwa.
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8. • Tooth was arrived in Kandy in 1592 and has been
there ever since.
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9. 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.
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10. • After the Kandyan Kingdom fell to the British
in 1815, the custody of the Relic was handed
over to the Buddhist Clergy.
• In the absence of the king, a lay custodian
called the "Diyawadana Nilame" was
appointed to handle routine administrative
matters.
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Video Clip

12. Some of the main events in Perahara
The Permission
• Until the sound of shots for the start of the procession is
heard the tuskers, drummers, dancers and other artists are
lined up. Permission for the start of the procession is granted
by Diyawadana Nilame.
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13. Sound of Shots in the Perhara
• It is the custom to fire three rounds of shots before the
commencement of the pageant.
• At the first sound, the processions of the four devalas line up
and move to join the procession of the Maligawa.
• The Second sounds indicate that the casket is placed in the
Ranhilige on the ceremonial tusker.
• The Third sound indicates that the
pageant is set off.
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14. Kasakaruwo (Whip Crackers)
• When the procession parades the streets the first
participants you see are the whip crackers.
• It is believed that the noise of the whips depicts
thunder and lightning. There are thirty of them.
• They intimate the arrival of the King.
• Generally, they are used to make room for the Sacred
Tooth Relic to be taken in the procession. 14

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Whip Crackers

16. Buddhist Flags
• To indicate that these Peraheras are Buddhist rituals,
Buddhist flags are taken in the procession. The youth
clad in white cloth carrying Buddhist flags and their
solemn walk is a spiritual and pleasant sight.
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17. Provincial Flag Bearers
• According to the traditions of Kandy era the
provincial flags are added to the procession and at
that time Nilames in charge of provinces carry these
flags.
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18. Sword Carriers
• From the time, the Sacred Tooth Relic arrived in Sri
Lanka and established in the temple it faced so many
hostilities and hazards.
• However the swords which were raised to prevent
these hostilities are remembered by the feature of
these sword bearers in the procession.
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• They walk with raised swords along the path of the
procession of the Sacred Tooth Relic. They do not
perform any dance but walk.

20. Fire Ball Dancers
• The glow of lightning is magnificently shown by
these Fire Ball Dancers.
• It lights the darkness of the night.
• This Fire Ball Display is dangerous but with a
balanced mind and body it is a simple exercise.
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22. Peramune Rala (Front Runner)
• Traditionally after the whip crackers comes the Peramune
Rala on a tusker with his set of documents of religious
activities of and the duties with regard to the properties of
the temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.
• This set of documents should be taken with both of his
hands. He wears a white costume and a triangular hat.
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24. First Hewisi Group
• They come behind the tusker with the Peramune
Rala (Front Runner).
• They are the first four Hewisi Players of the
Temple.
• Their Presence in the front of the procession is a
tradition. They Perform with a majestic skill.
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26. Gajanayake Nilame
• He is in charge of the Elephants and tuskers who walk in
the procession.
• As a tradition Diyawadana Nilame hands over a Goad to
Gajanayake Nilame.
• He carries this pointing it to the sky and walks
majestically dressed in a colourful costume.
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28. Drummers
• These hereditary Drum Beaters beat their drums as a
religious ritual to the Sacred Tooth Relic.
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29. Horanekaruwo (Trumpet Blowers)
• Trumpet is a well tuned instrument and is to be mastered.
It has been popularized as the sound of Dalada Perahara.
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30. Coconut Flower Dancers
• Coconut Flower is the symbol of prosperity.
• The purpose of the Dalada Perahara is to wish prosperity to
the country.
• To symbolize this, dancers carry coconut flowers in their
hands.
• They perform a simple dance reciting verses changing the
coconut flower from hand to hand.
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• Raja
• Heiyantuduwa Raja
• Millangoda Raja
• Nadungamuwa Raja
Notable Sacred Casket Bearer
Tuskers

33. Raja
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• Raja (also known as Maligawa Raja) was a Sri
Lankan tusker elephant belonged to the Sri Dalada
Maligawa.
• Raja participated at the annual Esala procession in
Kandy for around 50 years and was the sacred casket
bearer of the final Randoli perehera for 37 years.

34. • He was one of the most celebrated elephants in Asia
during his lifetime, and was world famous for his noble
behavior.
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35. • On August 20, 1986 former Sri Lankan President J. R.
Jayewardene declared Raja as a national treasure, in
recognition of his valuable services to the religion
and culture of Sri Lanka.
• He died in July 16, 1988.
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36. Nadungamuwa Raja
• Nadungamuwa Rajais an Indian tusker born c.
1953 in Mysore.
• He is the current main casket bearer of
the procession of Esala.
• Nadungamuwe Raja is considered as the tallest
tusker in Asia.
• From 2005 he’s bearing the casket since now.
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38. The Procession
• The Kandy Esala Perahera begins with the Kap
Situveema, 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.
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39. • Traditionally it was meant to shower blessing on the
King and the people.
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40. The Kumbal Perahera
• For the next five nights, the "Devale Peraheras" take
place within the premises of the four Devales.
• On the sixth night, the Kumbal Perahera begins.
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41. • 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.
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42. • Then, riding on the first elephant, is the official called
Peramuna Rala (Front runner).
• 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.
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43. • 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.
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44. • The second procession is from the Natha Devale,
which faces the Sri Dalada Maligawa and is said to be
the oldest building in Kandy.
• 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.
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45. • The fourth procession is from the Katharagama
Devale 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.
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46. • 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.
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47. • The following important times are announced by
the firing of cannonballs, which can be heard all
across Kandy.
1.The commencement of the Devale Peraheras
2. The placing of the casket on the tuskers back
3. The commencement of the Dalada Perahera
4. The completion of the Perahera
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48. 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.
• It is also five nights Perehera and the largest Perehera,
which goes around the streets of Kandy, with more
than 100 elephants. 48

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Video Clip

51. 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.
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53. Conclusion
• The Esala Perehera is a 10 days festival.
• Celebrated in honour of the Tooth Relic.
• Happening on July or September.
• It is the combination of many Pereheras.
• It starts with tree planting ceremony, followed by
Kumbal Perehera, Randoli Perehera, day Perehera and
finished with water cutting ceremony.
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