What is the connection between the Esala Perahera and the Dalada Perahera?

The Esala Perahera (an ancient Hindu rain ritual) and the Dalada Perahera (a Buddhist procession honouring the Tooth Relic) ended up permanently merged into one singular festival in 1775, which is what people remember.

This strategic merger, carried out by King Kirti Sri Rajasinha, helped integrate the island’s Buddhist majority with its Hindu minority. Nowadays, the term “Esala Perahera” is used to describe the whole combined event, and visually it shows the Buddhist Dalada Maligawa parade going first, followed by the four Hindu Devalaya processions in total harmony.