Kataragama Esala Festival begins today

The annual Esala Perahera festival of the Ruhunu Maha Katargama Devale will commence on July 03, and concludes with the Maha Prahera on July 18, The Water cutting ceromony will be performed on the following day.

On the initiative of the Presidential Secretariat, Government departments, 36 NGOs and other private organisations are expected to be involved in the Esala ceremony.

The Dansala to be set up at the Dewalaya premises will serve lunch for the devotees during the 16 day festival, Kataragama Devalaya Basnayake Nilame, Shasindra Kumara Rajapaksa stated.