The Kandy Esala Perahera also known as The Festival of the Tooth is a festival held in July and August in Kandy, Sri Lanka. This historical procession is held annually to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha, which is housed at the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy.

What is perahera ceremony?

The phrase perahera, which literally means 'procession,' refers to a popular Buddhist ceremony that includes a number of rituals, beginning and ending with the kap-planting and water-cutting ceremonies, respectively.

Who leads the Kandy Perahera?

Led by the Dalada Maligawa Perahera, the second is to Natha, a deity of special importance to Kandy, believed to be Buddha-in-waiting. The third is to Sri Lanka's Guardian Vishnu, also one of the three great Hindu gods and an important figure in representing the crossover between Hindu and Buddhist beliefs.