Ancient folklore and time-honed traditions are deeply rooted into the
origins that signify this island’s culture and create its identity. One
such tradition Sri Lankans hold in high regard is the Festival of the
Tooth, also known as the Kandy Esala Perahera (procession); a historic
ritual to pay homage to the sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha—a festival
of lights, unique customs, and heritage.
The journey of the relic to Sri Lanka is as interesting and colorful
as the festal procession that commemorates it. Legend has it that when
Lord Buddha was created in the 5th century B.C.E., one of his disciples
took a tooth from the pyre. This consecrated vestige was then smuggled
into the country by an Orissan princess under the guise of a Brahmin
priest.
The Perahera dates back to the 3
rd century B.C.E. and is a fusion of two peraheras, the
Esala and
Dalada.
The Esala Perahera is associated with asking the gods for rainfall, and
this practice still subsists in the main event where the order of the
procession is still defined by the belief that the Sacred Tooth Relic
has the magical power to produce rain. The Dalada Perahera can be traced
back to the time it is believed that the Sacred Tooth Relic was brought
to the island from India in the 4
th century C.E., 800 years after the demise of the Lord Buddha.
The customs of the modern perahera can be attributed to the reign of
the Kandyan King, Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe (1747-1781) who decreed that the
relic be taken in a procession around the city to be seen and venerated
by the masses. Prior to this, the sacred tooth relic was deemed to be
the possession of the kings and the common people were not allowed to
worship it.
The modern day procession starts off with a ceremony where a young jack tree is cut and planted at the premises of the four
devalas
(temples) or the four guardian gods: Natha, Vishnu, Katharagama, and
the goddess Pattini. This public spectacle goes on for ten days, leading
up to the full moon in August, and gathers a throng of both locals and
global admirers alike.
At the beginning, the Devala Peraheras gather in front of the Sri
Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth Relic) with their insignias placed
on a dome-like structure called the
ransivige. For more than
400 years, the Sri Dalada Maligawa has housed the revered dentistry and
is considered the Sri Lankan epicenter for Buddhism.
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Sri Dalada Maligawa, The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy | © wiki.commons
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A replica of the tooth relic is kept in a casket inside the ransivige, attached to the
Maligawa
(temple) elephant. Later this Maligawa Perahera joins the waiting
Devale Peraheras, and the blowing of the conch shell marks the start of
the procession. Leading the procession on the first elephant is an
official known as the Peramuna Rala, preceded by the whip crackers and
the flag bearers. Following him are the drummers, dancers, musicians,
flag bearers, and singers announcing the arrival of the Maligawa
Elephant. They are followed by the Diyawadana Nilame, who in the days of
old, were required to check everything to ensure that rains fell at the
right time. Finally the four Devala processions follow.
The final stage of the procession is the
Randoli perahera
(palanquin procession), which is held five days after. At the end of
this the relic comes to briefly rest at the Adahanamaluva Gedige Vihara
of the Asgiriya monastery and the procession ends with the firing of the
canon ball. On the following morning, preparations are already underway
for the next year as a religious official draws a sword through the
Mahaweli Ganga river at the peculiar water-cutting ceremony. This ritual
is carried out with the belief of separating the pure from the impure
and ensuring a plentiful supply of water. Some of this water is kept
aside for the next opening ceremony when the jack fruit will be planted
outside the temples.
Nothing stands more resplendent than the annual Kandy Esala Perahera
in the religious, social, and traditional circles of the native
islander. This pageant serves as a reminder of the glorious victory of
the Devas over the Asuras on the day after the new moon in the month of
Esala. Incepted as a festival of the gods, especially Maha Vishnu (the
god of Sri Lanka), this festival has now been incorporated with the
festival of the Tooth Relic. In the bygone days this tradition was
carried out to seek blessings for the King and the people.
Essentials
Bag a seat with a view OR arrive hours before the action begins OR reserve a place in one of the premises on the parade route.
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