EXPERIENCE ESAL A PER AHER A

August 17–27, 2018

lights, and accompanied by hundreds of jugglers, stilt walkers, fire dancers, drummers and singers, which entertain spectators along the parade route. About 100 smaller elephants follow the tusker, along with dignitaries in traditional costume.

This procession ends the following morning with a rain-summoning ritual. Priests from the temples of the four gods wade into the Mahaweli River and cut a circle in the water with swords to represent a release of the rains for the coming year.

On the final night, a replica of the tooth is placed in a gold casket on a massive elephant called the Maligawa Tusker WHEN WHERE HOW