Historic pageant of the hill capital

THE ‘Esala Maha Perahera’ of Kandy - the historic pageant of the hill country has once again commenced parading the streets, bringing much joy, veneration and enthusiasm among the Buddhists as well as many non-Buddhists in Sri Lanka.

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This historic annual pageant is held as homage to the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha in keeping with the age-old traditions. The annual Esala Maha Perahera of Kandy has many facets in it being a religious, cultural as well as a historical event in Sri Lanka.

The sacred tooth relic of the Buddha which is believed to have been brought to Sri Lanka by Prince Dantha and Princes Hemamala from India during the reign of Keerthi Sri Meghawarna (303—331 AD) had gradually become a great religious object in Sri Lanka and also a personal property of the King which symbolised the kingship of the country.

The ancient kings had always treated the scared tooth relic of the Buddha with much respect and veneration and had built special temples (Dalada Maligawas) to house this great religious object.

The great Buddhist traveller Fa-Hsien has vividly described in his writings as to how during the Anuradhapura period the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha had been taken in procession from the main shrine in the city to the ‘Abhayagiri monastery’ during the third month of each year for veneration by the general public.

With the movement of ancient kingdoms to different parts of the country in the wake of enemy invasions, the sacred tooth relic too had been moved to various parts of the country including Polonnaruwa, Kurunegala, Yapahuwa, Dambadeniya, Gampola and Kotte, etc. by the respective kings who ruled Sri Lanka.

King Wimaladharmasuriya-1 (1592-1604 AD) is considered as the Monarch who had finally brought the sacred tooth relic to Kandy from the famous Delgamuwa Viharaya where it was kept in a secret enclave.