What does it mean when artists ‘Pe-venawa’ before the Perahera?

‘Pe-venawa’ is a strict spiritual purifying ritual where all artists, as well as temple officials, keep away from meat, alcohol, and worldly distractions in the days that come before the festival.

Because the Perahera is deeply sacred, like a real act of honouring the Buddha’s relic and the divine protectors, each participant has to stay physically pure and spiritually clear. That austere devotion shows that the Perahera is not simply a cultural show, but an active, solemn religious responsibility that the Kandyan people carry out.