Esala Perahera - relevant facts from history

S.B. Karalliyadda

The annual Esala Perahera commences with the planting of ‘Kap’ or Kapsitaweema as popularly known among the people, on an auspicious day and time as decided by the astrologers. It is a traditional custom among the Sinhala Buddhists.

From this traditional auspicious event, the Perahera will parade inside the Maligawa premises and then the streets, daily until the final day of the water cutting ceremony at Getambe, observing the traditional rituals and rites according to auspicious times, the practices associated with this festival for thousands of years. It is not everybody who can take part in these sacred rituals but only the set of Maligawa office-bearers and the rightful custodians of the Devalas who are entrusted with such responsibility.

The relics were brought to Lanka by the Princess Hemamala the daughter of King Guhaseeva of Kalinga and her husband Prince Danta. Prince Danta was a prince from Udeni, the present Ujain in the Madya Pradesh. King Guhaseeva who possessed the Sacred Relic was ruling in Kalinga or Kalingurata the present Orissa. The relics were sent to Lanka when there was a threat to the kingdom of Kalinga. In some older historical records it states that the threat was from a king in Sevethnuwara the present Srawasthi.

Royal delegates

The king who ruled in our country was Mahasen at the time who was a friend of King Guhaseeva. The relics were sent to Lanka with an entourage with this royal couple. When the royal delegates arrived here King Mahasen (270-702 AD) who was old at the time had passed away and his eldest son Kithsirimevan brother of Jettatissa II (302-331) was ruling here. These kings are from Minipe descendents of the distinguish Lambarkarna Dynasty including Sirisangabo believed to be a Bodisatva or budding Buddha. It was nine years after his coronation.

Pujawaliya says that it was the right tooth but Pali Data Wansa and Sinhale Dalada Siritha says that it was the left tooth that was sent here. However, the party with this sacred object landed in Lanka Patuna port which is about nine kilometres from Seruvila in the present Eastern province in our island. It should be recorded with gratitude to our forces that this port which was held by the LTTE and out of bounds to Sinhalese for nearly four decades is now open for travel in any hour of the day. King Kithsirimevan received the delegation here and brought them to Abhayagiri Viharaya and kept the relics there.

Dalada Perahera

Why was Abhayagiri chosen to place the relics? History records that Mahasena in Maha Vihara followed the Vaithulliya sect and Abayagiri that followed Mahayana was known in India more than the Maha Vihara and the royal delegates also followed Mahayana. Our chronicles record that King Kithsirimevan spent annually Nine Lakhs and started a Perahera procession to pay homage to the relics. It is this Perahera pageant that is continued upto date. Successive kings followed this ritual uninterrupted when the kingdoms changed to Polonnaruwa, Dambadeniya, Yapahuwa, Gampola, Kotte and such capitals.

The Sacred Relic or Dalada is associated with the right to rule the country. The king was the custodian of the Dalada and no ruler without the custody of the Dalada was accepted as their king by the people. Hence the sacred object was taken to the capital from where the king ruled. His writ of governance was associated with the relics.

Gira Sandesaya describes the Sacred Tooth Relic during Kotte period thus;

“pera uvinda gena girida kiri sayura
kalabanada negi nomada gosa sayura
turu samuda nada hemada dena nohera
venda dalada geta dalada vadu mitura”
It describes how the gods worship the relics.
“dalada pudata divasen ena guvan maga
hemada dilena dana mana kara nuwan danga
vihida kirana babalana ran kerali aga
susada madak inda banda aga minak leda”

From Kotte the relics were removed to Seethawaka Delgamu Vihara and hidden under a grinding stone, from there it was brought to Senkadagala by Hiripitiye Diwane Rala and Galauda Therunnanse Wimaladharmasuriya I commenced the Dalada rituals in the kingdom by starting the annual Esala pageant.

Traditional performance

The Esala pageant which was held to pay tribute to the Tooth Relic was later held to pay tribute to the four gods who were the gods worshipped by the queens of Nayakkar kings when they ruled here. The King, Queens, the Adigars, Dissawes and other holders of office personally walked in the pageant. This practice gave an opportunity for the masses to see their kings, queens and other chieftains of the Kandyan court. Various flags belonging to Disaves were carried in the Perahera. Those living in Nindagam, Bandaragam, Bisogam, Muttettuwegam, Viharagam, Devalagam, who performed various Rajakariya to the Maligawa also walked in the Perahera carrying flags assigned to them.

The Diyawadana Nilame the lay custodian of the relics accompanied by the Basnayake Nilames of the main Devalas and Pitisara Devalas or rural Devalas walk in the Perahera. On the last day they report to the President officially that the festival was successfully concluded after the water cutting ceremony held in Getambe and thus ends this time immemorial religio-cultural and social festival in Senkadagala. The last is a ‘Kohomba Kankariya’ a traditional performance of a Kandyan dance ritual from dusk to dawn. This pageant attracts tourists all over the world and also is viewed live over television channels world over.