Kandy Esala Perahera
Many celebrations take place in the month of August. And at the luxury hotel in Alicante Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we always have things to celebrate. Today we are taking you to Sri Lanka to experience the Esala Perahera festival.
The Kandy Esala Perahera is one of Sri Lanka´s most famous religious festival, and one of the most important Buddhist celebrations in Asia. It takes place every year in the hill-capital Kandy, in the full-moon month of August and lasts 10 days.
It is held to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Lord Buddha, which is housed at the Sri Dalada Maligawa temple, which is known as the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. The Kandy Esala Perahera also pays homage to its four deities: Kataragama, Natha, Pattin and Vishnu.
According to the legend, Buddha´s tooth was brought to Sri Lanka during the 3rd century BC, hidden inside a princess´ hair. From then on, every year after twilight for ten days the Sacred Tooth Relics of the Lord Buddha are carried through the streets of Kandy. A huge elephant is in charge of carrying the chest where the famous tooth is kept.
The main deities of the city walk from four different sanctuaries, accompanied by over one hundred elephants adorned with beautiful lights and colours, while dancers, musicians and acrobats adorned with silver ornaments and jewellery move to the rhythm of the music performing perfectly synchronise movements.
Over these ten days, Kandy´s streets are crowded with pilgrims from all over the country and tourists who doesn´t want to miss the Kandy Esala Perahera.
If you also love festivals and celebrations, Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa is your place. A luxury resort where you will be able to feel the Asian tradition from the very first moment.
