Esala Perahera in Kandy:

High price chair-selling rips off tourists

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

The owners of business establishments around the Sri Dalada Maligawa and those who buy them to instal chairs to sell at exorbitant rates to foreigners during the days of the Kandy Perahera earn more money than what the Maligawa spends to organize the event with its own funds, the Daily News reliably learns.

‘They earn more in one day than what we spend to conduct the Perahera for seven days. For seven days they earn seven times as much, said Maligawa officials adding that Maligawa has no part in these outside commercial activities.

The Perahera is run on Maligawa funds as it has been from the time of the reign of the Kandyan King Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe (1747–1781 AD), said Maligawa officials.

The Maligawa is aware that some tourists have been charged exorbitant sums to view the Perahera from some business malls on either side of the Maligawa Road.

They virtually rip off tourists who come to see the Perahera and on the final day of the Perahera they charge Rs 10,000 for a seat from the foreigners to view the procession. The price can sometimes go up to Rs 20,000.

The Temple said the Maligawa has no part or percentages from any of these activities as an independent religious institution. “We are aware of instances where some tourists who have got disappointed over their being taken advantage of by some individuals when they came to Kandy to see the magnificence of the Perahera,” they said.

“We regret that these things have happened at the hand of a few individuals who try to reduce the traditional Perahera of fame to a money spinning event forgetting its historical and religious values. The Maligawa is not responsible for these activities,” said the Temple.

We asked Kandy Mayor Raja Pushpakumara about the situation, he said there was nothing wrong with the business opportunities that manifest around a cultural event such as the Kandy Perahera, which is also a major event in the tourism calendar.

The Mayor, however, admitted that there have been cases of foreigners being disturbed by high-price chair selling on the days of Perahera.

“I am planning to do something about it for sure,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kandy Municipal Commissioner Chandana Tennakoon said they spent Rs 8 million to clean the city, douse fires, food inspection, water supply and maintain sanitary facilities during the Perahera week.

“We clean the side-walks so that the public may use them to view the Perahera. We also put some chairs for those who come to see the Perahera for which we charge Rs 200 for the service,” he said.

The businessmen wanted to take over the space available on sidewalks just in front of their hotels and shopping malls to facilitate more tourists.

“We did not allow this in order to facilitate the local viewers,” he said.

The Kandy Police and the MC provide its services to both locals and foreigners during the Perahera. The MC does not earn money to cover expenses spent on their services.

The business establishments around the Maligawa earn millions during the Perahera season while having no proper participation in the Perahera.

Kandy Police told the Daily News, it is sad to see that these people around the temple rip off foreigners at the cost of the Maligawa’s most important Buddhist event.