Kandy Esala Perahera, the most beautiful pageant in Sri Lanka, begins

S M Jiffrey Abdeen, 19th July 2009, The Sunday Observer

The historic Kandy Esala Perahera of the Sri Dalada Maligawa will commence on July 27 with the Kumbal Perahera and conclude on August 5 with the final Randoli Perahera. The Day Perahera will be on August 6 said the Diyawadana Nilame of the Sri Dalda Maligawa Nilanga Dela Bandara.
The planting of the Kap will take place on July 22.

Diyawadana Nilame Nilanga Dela Bandara said with the ending of the thirty year war and normalcy being restored, a very large gathering is expected for this year's Esala Perahera. Large crowds will throng to see the first Kumbal Perahera.

This year the route of the first Kumbal Perahera on July 27 will be extended. It will start from the Maligawa Square and proceed along Dalada Veediya, D.S. Senanayake Veediya (Trincomalee Street), Pansala Para, Deva Veediya, Srimath Bennet Soysa Veediya, Kotugodella Veediya, Raja Veediya and back to Maligawa Square.

With the planting of the Kap, the Inner Perahera will commence on July 22 by parading within the Sri Dalada Complex from July 22 to July 26 before it takes to the streets on July 27 with the Kumbal perahera which concludes on July 31.

The grand Randoli Perahera will commence on August 1 and conclude on August 5. The Diyawadana Nilame said that the annual Perahera of Sri Vishnu Devale of Devinuwara and the Esala Festival of the Ruhunu Kataragama Devale will also be held at the same time and there will be a heavy demand for elephants to participate in the Peraheras.

Despite this 80 - 100 elephants will participate in the final Randoli Perahera.

The Water Cutting will take place in the early hours of August 6 at the Getambe ford of the Mahaweli Ganga and conclude with the Day Perahera on August 6.

Kandy Esala Perahera - - Youtube Video 1

Kandy Esala Perahera - - Youtube Video 2