The Kandy cultural procession is a sacred and magnificent procession called Esala celebrated in Sri Lanka throughout the month of August.
The document provides several recommendations for organizing the elaborate Kandy cultural parade. It is an expression of the reverence, devotion, and faith of the local Buddhist community towards the Lord Buddha’s tooth relic, deities, and the act of invoking rain. The procession showcases various elements of rainfall, including thunder, lightning, rain clouds, and raindrops.
The crackers and fireball acrobats swiftly remove obstacles and represent the auditory effects of thunder and lightning. The first elephant is transporting a royal officer who is holding an ola-leaf book that documents the responsibilities of officers assigned to the sacred shrine.
The Gajanayaka Nelame, who is responsible for the royal elephant, holds a golden goad in his hands. The elephants represent rain clouds, which carry flags from various regions of the kingdom throughout the procession in the presence of the king. This symbolizes their continued allegiance to him and demonstrates the loyalty of their subordinates.
The pageant during the king’s era featured dancers and drummers who took joy in their performances. Instead of receiving monetary compensation, these musicians were rewarded with land for their services.
In 1815, the British conquered the Kandyan kingdom and entrusted the tooth relic to the Buddhist clergy, specifically two chief monks named Asgriya and Malwattha in Kandy. These monks take turns in caring for the relic on an annual basis and participate in the daily religious ceremonies held in the perfume chamber. Additionally, there is a lay custodian responsible for the tooth relic.
The Diyawadana Nilame is the title given to the lay custodian who is responsible for the relic in Sri Lanka while the king is not there.
This individual is highly regarded as the most prominent Buddhist layperson in the country. He walks closely behind the tusker, which bears the relic, while wearing the traditional regal attire of the King of Kandy.
The lay custodians of the Davales participate in the Devala parade.
The procession commences with a modest ceremony on the new moon day of Esala. The laity priests of the devales gather at the base of the jack tree, which has been cut and planted within the grounds of each of the four devales: Natha, Vishnu, Katharagama, and goddess Pattini. The first five nights feature the traditional procession known as kumbal perahera.
The procession exclusively revolves around the Devales sans elaborate rituals. On the sixth night, the kumbal perahera commences and lasts for four to five days.
The Devala Perahera congregates in front of the Temple of the Tooth. The upcoming five nights are referred to as Randoli Perahera. “Doli” refers to the palanquins used by the Devales to transport their golden caskets and swords.
The final night of the celebration is the most vibrant and captivating. During this night, the relic is temporarily placed in the Gedige Viharaya of the Asgiriya temple at approximately 3 am. The following morning, the lay priests of Devala go in a procession to the Mahaweli Ganga at Gatabe.
They board a boat and travel to the center of the river, carrying a golden sword and casket for refilling. They strike the water with the sword and return after refilling, reaching Gatabe Veharaya. They then join the day perahera, a procession done to commemorate the rite