Esala Perahera

Month : July/August
Place : Kandy, Sri Lanka
Famous For : Buddhist Festival
Attractions : Decorated Elephants, Elegant Costumes, Fire Dances, Processions.

The festival of Esala Perahera is one of the most popular awaited celebration in Sri Lanka. It's a Buddhist festival observed on a grand scale all over the island country. Esala Perahera is celebrated during the month of July or August in Kandy, Sri Lanka. The main attractions of this festival are the dances and decorated elephants, which make this event a a unique symbol of Sri Lanka.

Major Attractions
Esala Perahera is a festival adorned with very grand with elegant costumes. Over the centuries, this festival has become a long standing Sri Lankan tradition. This Buddhist festival is best known for exceptionally well decorated elephants. The elephants are usually adorned with lavish garments and their number keeps on increasing day by day to make the festival more spectacular. Besides this, other traditions include fire-dances, whip-dances, Kandian dances and various other cultural dances. The dancers are dressed with elaborate and eloquent native costumes consisting of 13 yards of cloth, over the top head dresses, and a whole load of delicate body ornaments. The Esala Perahera in Kandy is actually a fusion of two separate but interconnected "Peraheras" (Processions) - The Esala and Dalada. The Esala Perahera traces its origin way back to the 3rd century BC. It as a ritual enacted to request the gods for rainfall. The Dalada Perahera dates back when the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha was brought to Sri Lanka from India during the 4th Century AD. The TOOTH RELIC was take in procession to Sri Lanka by Princess Hemamala & Prince Dantha. The festival ends with the traditional 'diya-kepeema'.2

Official Website : http://www.lankalibrary.com/heritage/esala.htm