AUG 5–15

Kandy, (Depending on the full moon Poya Day), sri lanKa KANDY ESALA PERAHERA

Believed to be a fusion of two parades, Esala and Dalada, Esala Perahera likely dates back to AD 4 when the sacred relic of the tooth of Buddha was taken from India to Sri Lanka. The grand procession is a ritual performed to beseech the gods to provide rain as well as to honour the tooth relic.

The customary planting of a sanctified young jackfruit tree precedes a series of five processions that involve carrying the tooth relic amidst the cracking of whips, caparisoned elephants and traditional music and dance.