The Kandy Esala Perahera festival starts today (17) with the planting of Kapa at the auspicious time in the Sathara Maha Devalayas.
After the planting of Kapa, five internal peraheras will be held in the Sathara Maha Devalas of Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama and Pattini, and the Kumbal Perahera street tour will begin after that.
Pradeep Nilanga Dela the Diyawadana Nilame of Sri Dalada Maligawa said that the ritual of planting Kapa in the Sathara Maha Devalas will be done today (17) at the auspicious time of 6.12 am.
After completing the five internal peraharas of the Devalas, the first Kumbal Perahara is scheduled to tour the streets on August 21.The Kumbal Perahera will tour the streets for five days from August 21 to 25.
Nilanga Dela said that the Randoli Perahera street tour will begin on August 26 and the final Randoli Maha Perahera will be held on August 30.
After the final Randoli Maha Perahara street tour, the next morning the water-cutting ceremony will be held at Gatambe. The Diyawadana Nilame said this year’s Esala Perahera festival in Kandy will come to an end after the noon Perahera street tour on August 31.
The Kapa (part of the Panasa tree) brought from the Aluthnuwara Sri Dedimunda Devalaya to the Kandy Vishnu Devalaya on the Miyan Raja tusker of the Sri Dalada Maligawa was distributed to the Sathara Maha Devalas yesterday (16) afternoon.