What is the Kandy Esala Perahera?

The Kandy Esala Perahera is a massive annual Buddhist celebration in Sri Lanka, which is held in July or August, to honour the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. Visitors can witness amazing processions, decorated elephants, along with traditional Kandyan dancers and energetic drummers, all moving through the streets.

Set in Kandy, the UNESCO World Heritage city, this venerable 10-day street festival beautifully blends ancient Hindu rain-calling rites with sincere Buddhist devotion. Most of it is centred around the Sri Dalada Maligawa (the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic), and the four main Hindu Devalayas, shrines that are dedicated to guardian deities. During the parade, the majestic Chief Maligawa Tusker carries a highly revered replica casket of the tooth relic through the town, and he walks only on an uninterrupted carpet of white linen.

The spectacle gradually builds in grandeur night after night, split between the early Kumbal Perahera and the climactic Randoli Perahera. It takes a coordinated effort from thousands of participants, among them acrobatic Ves dancers, Hewisi drummers, fire breathers, whip crackers, and up to 100 brilliantly lit, caparisoned elephants. Given its massive scale, along with its deep religious significance, the Kandy Esala Perahera is widely seen as one of the oldest and most spectacular faith pageants across Asia, pulling in hundreds of thousands of local pilgrims and global travellers every year.