Kandy Esala Perahara

In those days the tooth relie was taken round the city of Anuradhapura, once a year in the month of March and placed in abayagiri vihara for ninety days, this ritual was done to invoice blessings the gods for an in fall in time. Four Devala pageants that we have today were not their when the perahara started Esala perahara with the four Hindu devala perahara were in traduced in 1775 AD under the guidance of Welivita sri sangaraja thera during the velgn of kind keerthi sri Rajasinghe today the lay custodian of tooth relic is the Diyawadana nilame.

The process of the Esala pageant Following the new moon in July a jack tree or Rukkaththana tree is cut and “kap” is in planted each Dewala “kap” planting denotes the vow that the perahera will be held accordingly. 5 nights processing are conducted with in the Dewala premises. These processions will be held in the four devalas natha, vishnu, kataragama and pattini Dewales on the 6 th night starts the “kumbal perahara” the perahara is seen outside the devals for the 1 st times on the 6 th night. The maligawa procession leads the perahara after 5 “kumbal perahara” the “Randoli” pewrahara is held’ in the ancient times. The kinds himself walked in the Randoli perahara. Randoli perahara is very colorful and more grand with increased elephants more dancers. The randoli perahara goes round the city for five nights and the final day is the granules of all on that Dewale pageants return to their respective Dewala’s and go our again in the morning for water cutting.

Earlier this was done to commemorate a victory in battle gods who defeated demons (Asura) this symbolizes the booed stained swords being cleaned (It was between god Katharagama and the demons) Today the kapurala’s of the 4 dewala’s fill goblets of river water purified after cutting of water by the sword of the god. They are kept in the dewalas till the next year water cutting ceremony. Then the dewala perahara return to the “Gana devi kovila” where certain ceremonies are preformed. Then the whole festival come to and end. The Maligawa perahara return to the tooth relic temple fatter.