Religion & Culture


The Kandy Esala Perahera is the most magnificent spectacle to be witnessed in Sri Lanka. Perahera means procession, but this is no ordinary procession. The beginnings of the Perahera go back to the third century AD, when King Megavanna decreed that once a year the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha should be brought out of its ...




The Temple of the Tooth or Dalida Maligawa is another significant site where the Buddha’s tooth relic rests in an antechamber. This relic used to be brought out in procession during the Esala Perahera amongst much fanfare and was said to be spirited from India to Sri Lanka hidden in a princess’ hair.