Kandy Esala Perehera, one of the spectacular festivals in the world has started on August 13th this year. It is held under strict safety regulations without the participation of spectators due to the present Covid-19 pandemic. However, the grandeur of music, dance, light, colours and the elephants dazzle brightly as in previous years.

The Kandy Esala Perahera parades the street in Kandy, the World Heritage Site at night for 10 days. Day by day it gets bigger and better with every passing day. The last two days specially the final day Randoli Perahera having the biggest and the best parade. This year final Randoli Perahera will parade tonight (August 22nd 2021) and spectators can watch it online.

Kandy Esala Perahera live Webcast

https://kandyesalaperahera.com/live/?playlist=01bbbfc&video=36f3a0b

The main attraction and the highlight of the Kandy Esala Perahera is the golden casket that sits on top of the tusker carrying the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. A tusker can be striking and gracious but it has to be extremely lucky to carry the golden casket containing the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. Only a few tuskers are allowed to enter through the Vahalkada (frontispieces) at the Temple of the Tooth and only those tuskers will have a chance of carrying the golden casket. Some tuskers take part in the Perahera for years but are never allowed to carry the casket.

Nedungamuwe Raja

Nedungamuwe Raja tusker is the present main casket bearer of the Kandy Esala Perahera. Nedungamuwe Vijaya Raja commonly known as Nedungamuwe Raja, the tallest domesticated tusker in Asia has performed its duties as the main casket bearer in final Randoli Perahera since 2005 for almost 14 years.

This one of the most celebrated elephants towering 3.2 meters in height and 1.52 meters in length is an unofficial national treasure of Sri Lanka. It is an Indian elephant born in 1953 in Mysore India on the elephant herd that belonged to the Maharajah of Mysore.

Later it was gifted together with another elephant by Maharaja of Mysore to Sri Lankan monk Ven. Maharagama Neelammahara Thera was renowned as a native physician as an appreciation of curing his relative's long-lasting illness. In 1978 this tusker was acquired by present owners of late eminent Ayurvedic physician, Mr Dharmavijaya Veda Ralahamy and named after his residing village of Nadungamuwa.

Nedungamuwe Raja walks to Kandy from its home in Nadungamuwa to participate in Kandy Esala Perahera every year. It takes seven days to reach Kandy covering almost 100 km. A military unit has deployed to clear a path when it is navigating crowded country roads.

Nawam Raja

The other elephant was gifted by the Maharajah of Mysore was acquired by Gangaramaya temple, Colombo and named "Nawam Raja". It also carried the golden casket of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha at Kandy Esala Perahera for several years. This elephant was passed away recently.

Raja Tusker

Before these two tuskers another tusker called “Raja” or “Maligawe Raja”, a native Sri Lankan elephant has performed duties as main casket bearer of the final Randoli Esala Perahera for 37 years. This Maligawe Raja tusker, the most celebrated elephant in Asia was declared as National Treasure in Sri Lanka in 1986.

Maligawe Raja tusker was born in 1913 within the jungles of Eravur in the Batticaloa district. It was captured by the Umaru Lebbe Panikkar and his men who were experts in capturing elephants in 1925. The name Panikkar has given to such experts during the Kandyan king’s period. Capturing elephants was not illegal in Sri Lanka till 1950. This elephant was purchased by Tikiribandara Mampitiya Disawe of Giragama Walawwa and gifted to Sri Dalada Maligawa in 1937. It was participated for Kandy Esala Perahera for around 50 years until it died in 1988. The stuffed remains of Maligawe Raja tusker were preserved and prepared to look like the tusker when alive and displayed at a special museum within the Sri Dalada Maligawa premises.

The casket bearers of the Kandy Esala Perahera are world-famous for their noble behaviour. At the Perahera parade, their path is covered by white cloth called “Pawada” and the tusker will not walk ahead without this when they carried the golden casket of the Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. The devotees and spectators stand while it passing them. Become a casket bearer of Kandy Esala Perahera is truly a virtue of that tusker.

Read more on: - 

Kandy Esala Perahera:

https://www.fantasiatours.com/blogs/view-blog/kandy-esala-perahera

https://sridaladamaligawa.lk/kandy-esala-perahara/

Kandy & Sri Dalada Maligawa: 

https://www.fantasiatours.com/activities/view-detailed-activity/324

https://sridaladamaligawa.lk/

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