Culture & Festivals
Kandy Esala Perahera: The Story Behind Sri Lanka’s Greatest Procession
For ten nights every Esala moon, the streets of Kandy fill with drummers, dancers, fire performers and tuskers in full regalia — all escorting a single relic that once decided who ruled this island. Here is the history behind the Kandy Esala Perahera, what you’ll actually see on the night, and how to plan your visit.
How Buddhism reached Sri Lanka
Before Prince Vijaya and his party were exiled from India to Sri Lanka in 543 BC, the island was home to indigenous tribes. Vijaya and his followers are considered the forefathers of modern-day Sri Lanka.
In the third century BC, the Indian Emperor Asoka sent a party of Buddhist monks to the island, led by Arahat Mahinda Thero — Asoka’s own son. Under his guidance, Buddhism took root here, and many Indian traditions became woven permanently into Sri Lankan culture. Almost everything you’ll see at the Perahera traces back to that moment.
The arrival of the Sacred Tooth Relic
The Buddha passed away at the age of 80 in Kushinagar, India. Following his parinirvana, the sacred remains were divided among eight Indian monarchs, who built shrines and stupas to house them. The Sacred Tooth Relic was venerated but never enshrined — and that made it portable.
Internal conflict in Kalinga Desha (modern-day Orissa) put the relic in danger. Sri Meghavanna, then king of Sri Lanka, was a devoted Buddhist willing to take on its guardianship. So Prince Dantha and Princess Hemamali of India disguised themselves as peasants and carried the Sacred Tooth Relic across to the island in secret.
The parade that greeted them was almost certainly nothing like today’s Esala Perahera. But historical archives show the relic was received with enormous reverence — and because it could be moved, it soon replaced the Sri Maha Bodhiya as the palladium of kingship. In times of conflict, when several claimants competed for the throne, whoever held the Sacred Tooth Relic could be declared king.
How the Perahera began
For a long stretch of history, the relic belonged strictly to the kings. Ordinary people were not permitted to worship it. Through the rise and fall of successive Sri Lankan kingdoms it remained sealed inside guarded temples.
That changed when the relic reached Kandy, its final resting place. King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe (1747–1782 AD) decided the public should be able to see and worship it. The Kandy Esala Perahera was born — and it has run annually ever since, with only a handful of cancellations.
The festival falls in the month of Esala, which lands in July or August. “Perahera” simply means a parade of musicians, dancers, drummers and other performers in Sinhalese. It runs for ten nights.
What happens on the night
Before the procession leaves the Temple of the Tooth Relic, Buddhist monks perform a series of rituals and ceremonies inside, invoking blessings and seeking protection for everyone taking part and everyone watching. Then the doors open.
Who you’ll see pass by
The Perahera moves in a set order — each group carries its own meaning.
- Whip crackers and flag bearers They clear and announce the route, carrying standards that represent Sri Lankan traditions and religious beliefs.
- Drummers and dancers Hundreds of them, in ornate traditional costume — the sound arrives long before the procession does.
- Fire performers The night-time setting is the whole point. Firelight is how this procession has always been lit.
- Elephants and tuskers in full dress The centrepiece tusker carries the casket bearing the Tooth Relic through the streets.
- The water cutting ritual The ten nights conclude with the water cutting ceremony at Kandy’s Mahaweli River.
In recent years the Esala Perahera has drawn international attention and become one of Sri Lanka’s headline attractions. For visitors it’s a rare chance to see living culture rather than a staged performance — a festival that says a lot about the country’s spiritual life and the diversity that has shaped it.
Tips for attending the Esala Perahera
Where to stay during the Kandy Perahera
Only a handful of hotels combine good city views with walking distance to the centre where the procession takes place. These are the ones worth checking first:
Availability disappears fast in July and August. If you’d like us to hold rooms as part of a tour package, tell us your dates and we’ll check what’s still open.
Tickets and seating
Watching from the street is free
Like most Sri Lankan festivals, attending the Kandy Esala Perahera — or joining the procession itself — costs nothing. You’re welcome to step out with the thousands of residents and devotees who move through Kandy each night of the festival.
If you’d rather watch from a balcony above the crowd:
~$60 USDPer seat, varying by night and demand. Prices climb sharply on the final nights.
Planning to see the Perahera this year?
We’ll build the dates, hotels and seating around you — and tell you honestly what’s still available.
Images courtesy of Amila Tennakoon and Samantha McFarlane via Creative Commons licences. Some rights reserved.
