If you’re visiting Sri Lanka during July – August, you must never miss the opportunity to witness this prestigious and sacred Buddhist ceremony, “Kandy Esala Perahera.”

This is known as a merging of Esala perahera and Dalada perahera, which were done imploring gods to make rainfalls for the country and worshiping the sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha in the temple of the tooth (Dalada Maligawa) respectively.

Perahera’s amazing moments take place beside a series of traditions and rituals that take place one after another nearby.

Cultural events unique to Sri Lankan Buddhist culture.

Procession frontline is the whip-crackers who announces the Perahera is nearby with the cracking sound of the whip, which will travel miles and miles.

These are nearly accompanied by fireball acrobats who will clear the way and simultaneously perform striking moves with fireballs.

Then a few lines of Buddhist flag-bearers walk expressing the message Buddhist cultural event.

Then onwards, there are many astonishing, and colorful segments proceed.

Traditional dancers and drummers are the icons of Sri Lankan dance legacy. While drummers playing sonorous beats, dancers twirl and leap magnificently.

The arrival of the elephants of the procession, Front Official, Maligawa Tusker, and other elephants with the embellished and illuminated grand attire enchants the scene.

Maligawa tusker steps on Pavada with great pride and majestic steps carrying the sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha inside the golden casket “Ran Karaduwa” covered with the “Ransivige” which shields with baldachins.

A thrilling event in Kandy Perahera is the “Wewal dance” where a group of people move in circular motion systematically one after the other in two rows grasping a cane by each (mostly from a plant of Calamus genus) and a person holding all those canes and facilitate their motion.

Also, there are many other traditional dances and events that represent the cultural inheritance of Sri Lankan regions.