The Esala Mangallaya is a Sinhalese festival celebrated in the month of Esala, a month in the Sinhalese calendar which occurs during July and August in the Gregorian calendar. [1] [2] The most famous being the Esala Perahera.
Kandy is a major city in Sri Lanka located in the Central Province. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city is situated in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is both an administrative and religious city and the capital of the Central Province. Kandy is the home of the Temple of the Tooth Relic, one of the most sacred places of worship in the Buddhist world. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988. Historically the local Buddhist rulers resisted Portuguese, Dutch, and British colonial expansion and occupation.
Āsāḷha Pūjā is a Theravada Buddhist festival which typically takes place in July, on the full moon of the Āsādha month. It is celebrated in Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Laos, Myanmar and in other countries with Theravada Buddhist populations. In Indonesia, the festival is centered at Mendut Temple and Borobudur Temple, Central Java.
The Kandy Esala Perahera also known as The Festival of the Tooth is a festival held in July and August in Kandy, Sri Lanka. This historical procession is held annually to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha housed at the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy. A unique symbol of Sri Lanka, the procession consists of traditional local dances such as fire dances and performances in whip-dance garments. The festival ends with the traditional Diya-kepeema ritual, a water cutting ceremony which is held at the Mahaweli River at Getambe, Kandy.
Pavarana is a Buddhist holy day celebrated on Aashvin full moon of the lunar month. This usually occurs on the full moon of the 11th month. It marks the end of the three lunar months of Vassa, sometimes called "Buddhist Lent." The day is marked in some Asian countries where Theravada Buddhism is practiced. On this day, each monk must come before the community of monks (Sangha) and atone for an offense he may have committed during the Vassa.
Sri Lanka, having a history as long as many ancient civilizations, positioned at the crossroads of the East and the West, and being a multicultural society, celebrates a wide variety of festivals, ceremonies and events.
Diyawadana Nilame is the office of the chief lay custodian of the Temple of the Tooth, Kandy, Sri Lanka. Formerly an office of the royal household, at present it is the trustee for the Temple of the Tooth as defined by the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance of 1931. A ceremonial position, enriched with over two thousand years of history to protect and carry out ancient rituals for the relic of the tooth of the Buddha. The Diyawadana Nilame recognised as a states man has the responsibility of overseeing of all aspects of the Sri Dalada Maligawa. He has the traditional duty of organizing the annual pageant, the Kandy Esala Perahera. The current Diyawadana Nilame is Pradeep Nilanga Dela.
President's Pavilion is an official residence of the President of Sri Lanka, located in Kandy, Sri Lanka. This was formerly the Governor's Pavilion until 1972 when Sri Lanka became a republic. It is located close to the sacred Temple of the Tooth in the center of the city of Kandy at the head of the Pavilion Street. Although an official residence, it is used rarely for official functions, most notably during the Esala Perahera when at its conclusion the perahera sandeshaya is presented.
Sri Dalada Maligawa, commonly known in English as the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, is a Buddhist temple in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the Royal Palace Complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy, which houses the relic of the tooth of the Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. The relic was historically held by Sinhalese kings. The temple of the tooth is a World Heritage Site mainly due to the temple and the relic.
Death Stone is a 1987 German-Sri-Lankan action film directed by Franz Josef Gottlieb and starring Albert Fortell, Heather Thomas, Elke Sommer, and Brad Harris. It was also released as Perahera and Jungle Fire.
Dikwella, also known as Dickwella and as Dikwella South, is a small coastal market town in the Matara district in Southern Province of Sri Lanka. It is located 22 km (14 mi) east of the city of Matara. Dikwella is noted for its long sandy beach which is protected by headlands, reefs and sand-bars, making it safer for swimming.
Gelioya is a town located in Udunuwara Divisional Secretariat, Kandy District, Central Province, Sri Lanka. It is situated approximately 14 kilometers east of Kandy, the district capital.
Millangoda Raja, also known as Millangoda tusker, was a Sri Lankan elephant. Over 9 feet tall and with 7.5 foot long tusks, he was considered to be among the longest tusked captive Asian elephant during his lifetime. The tusker was one of the main casket bearers of the procession of Esala, an annual procession held to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha, held in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
Heiyantuduwa Raja (c. 1924 – 6 November 2002) was a Sri Lankan elephant, which carried the Relic of the tooth of the Buddha casket in the Dalada Perahera for 11 years after the demise of Maligawa Raja. Heiyantuduwa Raja's tusks were each 7 ft 6 in (2.3 m) in length when he was living, and it was considered one of the longest-tusked elephants in the country.
Nadungamuwa Vijaya Raja, also known as simply Nadungamuwa Raja, was an Indian elephant brought to Sri Lanka.
Weliwita Asaranasarana Sri Saranankara Sangharaja Thero or popularly Weliwita Sri Saranankara Thero was a Buddhist monk, who was the last Sangharaja of Sri Lanka. He was the pioneer in the revival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, after the decline of the religion in the 17th and 18th centuries. Saranankara Thero was bestowed with the a title by king Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe in 1753, the same year he received the Upasampada and re-established the Upasampada in Sri Lanka with the help of Mahasangha in Siam. He is also credited with the establishment of Silvath Samagama, a union of monks who lived in accordance with the Buddhist monastic discipline.
Bellanwila Rajamaha Viharaya is a Buddhist temple situated in Bellanwila, Colombo District, Sri Lanka. Located around 12 km south to the Colombo city, near Dehiwala - Maharagama road, the temple attracts hundreds of devotees daily and is famous for its annual Esala Perehera festival which usually takes place in the month of August or September. One of the most venerated Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka, many devotees flock to worship the sacred Bo tree of Bellanwila Rajamaha Vihara, which is considered to be one of the first offshoots of Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. The present chief incumbent of Bellanwila Rajamaha Vihara is Ven. Dr. Bellanwila Dhammaratana Nayaka Thera.
Maha Saman Devalaya or the Great Saman Temple is a shrine dedicated to deity Saman, situated at Ratnapura, Sri Lanka who is the presiding deity of the Sri Pada Mountain which is also called Samanthakuta meaning the mountain of Saman which is believed to have the left foot impression of Buddha which he kept in his visit to Sri Lanka.
Tikiri was a female Sri Lankan elephant and one of the oldest Asian elephants belonging to Sri Lanka. She was one of the elephants used for the Kandy Esala Perahera and was often forced to march at the Perahera which is annually. She was believed to be the second oldest Asian elephant from Sri Lanka after Heiyantuduwa Raja. Tikiri died on 24 September 2019 aged 70 in Kegalle after confronting with illness. During her lifetime, she was used for mainly tourists trekking and for the religious festivals.
Indi Raja, also known as Indiraja, is an Indian elephant. Indiraja is a main casket bearer of the Kandy Esala Perahera, an annual religious procession held to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha, at the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, Sri Lanka, in which he carried the main casket many times. He is also the leading tusker of the elephant troop at the Temple of the Tooth.