What I learned about the Esala Perahara for you too

 

What I learned about the Esala Perahera for you too...

Today, Kandy is famous all over the world for this annual Esala Perahera. Ending the drought season, this festival is a ritual to pay homage to the Tooth Relic to bring rain.

Both the Mahanayake Theras and the Diyawadana Nilame are responsible for the protection of the Tooth Relic which was in the custody of the previous Kings. The Mahanayake Thero of Asgiriya Maha Viharaya and the Mahanayake Thero of Malwathu Maha Viharaya are the same.

Diyawadana Nilame is the foremost lay official who takes care of the Tooth Relic. Diyawadana Nilame means the officer who increases the water. Since the Tooth Relic has the power to increase water due to rain, the officer in charge of the Tooth Relic is called Diyawadana Nilame. 

The Tooth Relic was brought from the Dambadiv plateau by Princess Hemamala and the Tooth Prince. Keerthi Sri Meghawarna alias Kithsiri was the King of Lakdiva at the time.(303 - 331 AD)

King Wimaladharmasuriya I has the honor or bringing the Tooth Relic to Senkadawala. He was the founder of the Kandyan Kingdom. He Brought the Tooth Relic to Kandy from the Delgamu Rajamaha Viharaya and built a new two storied house adjacent to his palace and placed the Tooth Relic there. 

Esala Perahera is a festival that combines religion, art and political power. 

The esala Perahera also show cases the artistry of traditional artists. Dances, songs and verses passed down from generation to generation as a school are on display here. King's Day paid artists for this, Property received.

The Esala Perahera shows the glory of political power of the King to the people. The Districts and Nilames who govern the various divisions come to Kandy and march in procession to show their royal allegiance. The flags of the respective provinces are also displayed here.

Esala Perahera imitates rain. The ancients thought that in older to get rain, one had to imitate the rain. Clouds such as thunder and lightning before rain can be seen in this procession. The procession will end with a water cutting ceremony as the rains fall.

The Dalada Perahera will be held for ten days as the Kumbal Perahera and the Randoli Perahera. The procession that goes only around the Devalaya is called the Kumbal Perahera. The name may have come from the fact that the crocodile was likened to an ant that travels around its tomb.

Randoli Perahera carries gold post and gold swords belonging to the respective temples. It is also said that other ladies want by the name of Randoli. The Randoli Perahera will be held for five days. 

The last night of the Kandy Perahera is the most beautiful night of the Kandy Esala Perahera. 

The coffin of the Tooth Relic will be kept at the Gedige Vihara in the crematorium of the Asgiriya Vihara until dawn the next day. The next day at around 3 in the morning, the cotton growers of the Satara Devalaya set out in a procession to the Getambe port near Peradeniya, carrying the water-filled rankendi and rangadu filled with water of the previous year and proceeded to the middle of the river in a white-covered boat. Under the pretext, the jugs are emptied and refilled. It is customary to cut the water with a golden sword when filling it. Hence this custom is called "water cutting "