Marking the commencement of this time’s Kandy Esala Perahera, the Kap planting ceremonies were held at the four devalayas led by the respective Basnayake Nilames yesterday (17).
The auspicious time for the kap planting ceremonies at the four dewalas, Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama and Paththini was at 6.12 am. Kap planting at the dewalas was done under the initiative of the kapu mahaththayas and the Basnayake Nilame of the Natha Dewala Shanaka Bandaranaike, Basnayake Nilame of the Vishnu Dewala Mahen Ratwatte, the Kataragama Dewala Basnayake Nilame Daminda Udurawana and the Basnayake Nilame of the Paththini Dewala Hemantha Bandara participated in this event.
Diyawadana Nilame Pradeepa Nilanga Dela was also present at the kap planting ceremony at the Vishnu Dewala. Subsequent to the kap planting ceremonies each devala holds five peraheras around the ‘kapa’ and these are known as Internal Devala Peraheras.
Then the perahera parades the streets for ten nights. Prior to holding the afternoon perahera, the kapa are removed and taken to Getambe where the water cutting ceremony is carried out and at
that time, they are floated down the river which is an ancient ritual. A large crowd gather down river to catch these kapa as there is a belief among people that that by planting them on farming land a prosperous harvest can be achieved.