Kandy Esala Perahera - A feast of splendid pageantry

Andrew Scott

COLOURFUL PAGEANT: This is the Kandy Esala Perahera season during which time Kandy's ancient story is brought back to life. In fact the Kandy Esala Perahera is a much looked forward to an annual event throughout the world and during this time the spirit of Lanka comes to life.

This colourful cultural pageant has history, religion and a nation's culture mingled in it. This traditional rehearsal of Kandy's past glory carries a spiritual message too and it also shows the harmonious blending of Buddhism and Hinduism.

The origin of this colourful procession which parades the streets of Kandy every year is as old as Lanka's enchanting story. For a long time this feast of splendid pageantry was held in honour of the four Hindu Gods, Natha, Vishnu, Skanda and Pattini, who have shrines in their honour in Kandy. Thus to begin with the Maligawa procession had no place in this world famous perahera.

In ancient Lanka, peraheras were held to commemorate mythical, traditional and historical events and there are various beliefs ascribed to the inauguration of the Kandy Perahera.

One such popular belief is that this regal procession was begun to commemorate the war among the Asuras in which the God Kataragama was involved. Another belief is that it was inaugurated to commemorate King Gajabahu's unique victory over the Cholas.

Yet another less popular belief is that this perahera originated from an Indian festival introduced to Lanka by Prince Vijaya. Whatever the origin is, it is clear that the Kandy Esala Perahera has come down to us from the dim past.

The perahera as we see it today, with the four Devales participating in it, has its origin in more recent times, dating back to 1775 A.D. during the reign of King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe.

During this time a group of Siamese priests who had come to Sri Lanka for the important purpose of the restoration of Upasampada, being surprised to find a purely Hindu ceremony in the sacred precincts of a pre-eminently Buddhist country, insisted that the Buddha too should be honoured by this sacred procession.

Subsequently the King had ordered a procession with the sacred Tooth Relic to head the Dewale processions.

Earlier, during the Anuradhapura period, the Tooth Relic itself was carried in the perahera. The Chinese traveller, Fa Hien (5th century A.D.), confirms this when he says: "They always bring out the Tooth of the Buddha in the middle of the third month. Ten days before-hand, the king magnificently caparisons a man of eloquence and ability to clothe himself in royal apparel, and riding on an elephant, to sound and drum and proclaim that there shall be a perahera shortly........... At length the Tooth of the Buddha is brought forth and conducted along the principal road. As they proceed on the way, religious offerings are made to it." But today the sacred Tooth Relic itself is not carried in the perahera.

It is considered very inauspicious to remove the Tooth Relic from its sacred precincts. In the present perahera only a duplicate (replica) of the relic casket is carried on the back of the colourfully caparisoned Maligawa Tusker, the cynosure of all eyes during the perahera.

This colourful perahera has joyfully paraded the streets of Kandy every year and it is well known the world over.

It consists of a series of closely knit events. Taken in a nutshell they are the Kap planting ceremony, followed by the less picturesque Kumbal perahera succeeded by the Randoli perahera, followed by Day Perahera or Dawal Perahera finally ending with the water-cutting ceremony at historic Getambe.

The perahera is heralded by whip-crackers followed by brilliantly caparisoned elephants striding in stately postures and carrying tinkling bells round their ample necks. The Kandyan Chiefs in silver and gold ceremonial dress with world famed Kandyan dancers and dexterous drummers are notable attractions. The highlight of the perahera is the richly caparisoned Maligawa Tusker.

During the perahera, set against the background of a starry tropic night, the ancient city of Kandy echoes and re-echoes, as it certainly did centuries ago, to the tunes of massed drums and flutes, the cracking of whips and the clang of elephant's bells and the solemn cheers of worship from the enthusiastic spectators are enchanting indeed.

Even today a certain amount of superstition is associated with this perahera and during the ancient times too this had been the case. Robert Knox in his long description of the Kandy Esala Perahera says: "The festival of the Gods taking its progress through the city in the year 1664, the King would not permit it to be performed and that same year the rebellion happened. But never since had he hindered it."

Kandy has a very busy time during the perahera season. Men and women, young and old, town folk and village folk, all rush to Kandy in restless expectation.

For the village lass with her shy smile and gaudy dress as well as the lads from the towns sporting their mod shirts and queer hair styles, walking up and down to arrest attention, this is the happiest period. When the perahera ends, the city of Kandy, guarded by custom and tradition, takes the form of a vast stage deserted after a big play.