Peraheras, or parades, are religious festivals which take place all over Sri Lanka but the biggest and best is the Kandy Esala Perahera which occurs at the Esala full moon in late July or early August. Actually it happens every night for ten nights, each procession larger than the previous one until the final night on the full moon when there may be a hundred or more caparisoned elephants, plus hosts of drummers, dancers and fire jugglers – together with a bizarre array of auxiliary hand-propelled vehicles to provide endless supplies of coconut oil. The smell of burning oil permeates the whole town. The Esala Perahera is the world’s largest street procession, outstripping even the Rio Carnival – though admittedly not quite as exciting. Although essentially a Buddhist festival, it includes Hindus (see the section ‘about Sri Lanka’ for comments on religious integration).Accommodation in Kandy at Perahera time is always fully booked and, by Sri Lanka standards, alarmingly expensive. You also need to book seats to watch the procession well in advance. We can organise this for you, if you want.Two other things tourists should be aware of. For the whole period the monks in the Temple of the Tooth keep up a 24/7 routine of chanting (presumably in shifts) which can cause sleepless nights if you’re staying in Kandy. And boozers should be aware that for at least a fortnight leading up to the final Perahera Kandy is a dry zone, though if you’re staying in one of the more up-market hotels you may be able to arrange for alcoholic drinks to be brought to your room. But forget about buying liquor in shops or restaurants. This applies only within the city limits which are fairly tightly drawn. Jungle Tide lies outside the city limits so we’re not affecte
Kandy Perahara Sri lanka
Peraheras, or parades, are religious festivals which take place all over Sri Lanka but the biggest and best is the Kandy Esala Perahera which occurs at the Esala full moon in late July or early August. Actually it happens every night for ten nights, each procession larger than the previous one until the final night on the full moon when there may be a hundred or more caparisoned elephants, plus hosts of drummers, dancers and fire jugglers – together with a bizarre array of auxiliary hand-propelled vehicles to provide endless supplies of coconut oil. The smell of burning oil permeates the whole town. The Esala Perahera is the world’s largest street procession, outstripping even the Rio Carnival – though admittedly not quite as exciting. Although essentially a Buddhist festival, it includes Hindus (see the section ‘about Sri Lanka’ for comments on religious integration).Accommodation in Kandy at Perahera time is always fully booked and, by Sri Lanka standards, alarmingly expensive. You also need to book seats to watch the procession well in advance. We can organise this for you, if you want.Two other things tourists should be aware of. For the whole period the monks in the Temple of the Tooth keep up a 24/7 routine of chanting (presumably in shifts) which can cause sleepless nights if you’re staying in Kandy. And boozers should be aware that for at least a fortnight leading up to the final Perahera Kandy is a dry zone, though if you’re staying in one of the more up-market hotels you may be able to arrange for alcoholic drinks to be brought to your room. But forget about buying liquor in shops or restaurants. This applies only within the city limits which are fairly tightly drawn. Jungle Tide lies outside the city limits so we’re not affecte
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