Introduction
There are special religious programs conducted in the Maligawa on every Full Moon
Poya day where large numbers participate. Apart from these daily, weekly and monthly
ceremonies, there are four major ceremonies held every year. They are;
- Aluth Sahal Mangailaya;
- Avurudu Mangallaya;
- Asala Mangallaya;
- Karthika Mangallaya
Of these the most important is the Asala Mangallaya. Asala, according to the Sinhalese
Calendar, is the month of July/ August This is the months in which Kandy gets into
a festive mood. Shop-keepers and hoteliers pile up their stock to cater to the massive
crowds that throng the city. Maligawa and its premises are gaily decorated and are
illuminated with strings of lights, including the esplanade. These lights burn throughout
the night. A few days before the Perahera, A Kapa, a sapling from a tree that sheds
milky juice is erected in each of the four Devales. On the 5th day, The Kumbal Perahera
begins and goes on for 10 consecutive nights when the sacred relic casket is taken
round the streets of Kandy accompanied by exotically costumed dancers and drummers.
These dance forms vary. The most popular dance forms are the Ves, Udekki, Pantheru,
Naiyandi, Hewisi, Savang and Leekeli and the dancers with years of experience reveal
their dexterity in the performance of their respective dances. The most colorful
Perahera is last Randoli Perahera which falls on the Asala Full Moon Poya day. On
this day, at the auspicious time the Perahera starts. The Diyawadana Nilame in full
traditional Kandyan dress will enter the inner chamber to receive the Perahera Karanduwa
containing the Buddha Relics. The Mahanayake Thero will place the relics casket
on the velvet cloth clonintricately embroidered with gold and silver, held by both
hands by the Nilame. As he steps out of the chamber bearing the relic’s casket,
the crowd with one heart and one voice starts chanting sadhu, sadhu, sadhu and the
chorus will go on while the mini perahera begins. A red and yellow floor spread
(pavada) embroidered with appliqués of different hues is laid before him, and two
Temple functionaries will start strewing jasmine flowers on it while the Diyawadana
Nilame, carrying the casket, will slowly tread over the pavada. In front of him
two hand torches are held by bearers while the kavikaramaduwa sing songs in praise
of the Dalada. The Nilame walks past the udamale and begin to descend the wooden
staircase and go past the digge and ambarawa and finally arrives the place where
the tusker is waiting to carry the casket. The casket containing the Buddha Relics
is always carried by a tusker decorated with a is magnificent dress embedded with
colored bulbs and generally looks more colorful then the other caparisoned elephants
numbering over 75 who take part in the Perahera. The decorated ransivige is placed
on the back of this tusker and the relics casket is placed inside it on, a velvet
cushion, by the Nilame. After the Nilame and the Mahanayake Thero strew jasmine
flowers on the casket the tusker arrives at the wahalkada followed by the Nilame.
The Perahera proper begins as the canon booms. Leading the n Perahera is the band
of whip crackers who crack their whips in rhythmic pattern announcing it that the
Perahera is on. Immediately following are two o flag bearers carrying the two flags
of the Sathara Korale (known as Ira Kodiya) embossed with the symbols of the sun
and the moon indicating the wish that this Perahera be held until the sun and the
moon last. Next comes the peramunerala, attired in the traditional white dress and
riding a caparisoned elephant and carrying the sannasa, the royal charter to hold
the Perahera. Following him is the Gajanayake, A the Maligawa official in charge
of the elephants, elegantly dressed in traditional Kandyan dress carrying the ankusaya
the instrument by which elephants are controlled. The crowd is impatiently waiting
to get a glimpse of the tusker carrying the relic’s casket. It's a wonderful sight
to see the tusker r dressed in a decorated costume and brilliantly illuminated bearing
the ransivige in which the Perahera Karandawa rests on n velvet cushion, with garlands
of jasmine flowers hanging dangling above it and strings of lights flickering all
the time, tread over the pavada in easured steps under the canopy held over the
ransivie by 16 able bodied men with poles and strings. As the karanduwa passes by,
the crowd, stand up and with their hands clasped together chanting sadhu, sadhu,
sadhu thereby paying their homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic. The focus of the crowd
then moves towards the Diyawadana Nilarne who, attired in his traditional Kandyan
costume, slowly walks by under a large e embroidered umbrella held by a Vidane of
the Maligawa and e flanked by two troupes of Ves dancers whose performance is a
lovely sight to see. Over 75 caparisoned elephants, 1000s of dancers and drummers,
hundreds of flag bearers and torchbearers take part in each of the Peraheras. The
Maligawa Perahera is followed by the Devala Peraheras in the order of Natha, Vishnu,
Kataragama and Pattini under the direction of the respective Basnayake Nilames,
who in their traditional Kandy an costumes, take part in the Perahera. After the
day perahera, it is e customary for the Diyawadana Nilarne and the Basnayake Nilames
of the four devalas to report to Her Excellency the' President that the Perahera
was satisfactorily Conducted. As the Perahera draws to an end, the onlooker is apt
to conclude that it is nothing but sheer ingenuity of the Bliddhists from ancient
times to have organized the country's talents in arts and g crafts including drumming
and dancing into a cultural pageant of such magnitude and offer it to '" the Sacre
History
The Esala Perahera in Kandy is believed to be a fusion of two separate but interconnected
"Peraheras" (Processions) – The Esala and Dalada. The Esala Perahera which is thought
to date back to the 3rd century BC, was a ritual enacted to request the gods for
rainfall. The Dalada Perahera is believed to have begun when the Sacred Tooth Relic
of the Buddha was brought to Sri Lanka from India during the 4th Century AD. The
TOOTH RELIC was taking in procession to Sri Lanka by Princess Hemamala & Prince
Dantha.
Modern Perahera
The Modern Perahera dates back to the reign of the Kandyan King Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe
(1747 – 1781 AD). During these times, the Tooth Relic was considered private property
of the King and the public never got a chance to worship it. However, King Rajasinghe
decreed that the Relic be taken in procession for the masses to see and venerate.
After the Kandyan Kingdom fell to the British in 1815, the custody of the Relic
was handed over to the Maha Sanga (the Buddhist Clergy). In the absence of the king,
a lay custodian called the "Diyawadana Nilame" was appointed to handle routine administrative
matters. d Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha as a form of veneration.
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