Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic - Kandy

Karu Peiris
 Ayubowan

Kandy Esala Perahera

Is an event of great historical and cultural significance of
the Temple of Tooth Relic, which takes place annually in
the hill capital of Sri Lanka in the month of July/August,
on days fixed according to auspicious times .
Diyawadana Nilame, the chief lay head of
trustees of the Tooth Relic Temple
is responsible for the Esala pageant
The final procession of Dalada Perahera
(Ran doli) travels round the Kandy city on
the Esala Full moon day (falls in the month
of July) or Nikini Full moon day (falls on the
month of August) each year
The whole festival includes 17 major and
minor processions
At the conclusion of the Perahera, the
‘Perahera Sandesaya’ ( a message
announcing the end of the festival)
will be submitted to the President of
the country by the Diyawadana
Nilame associated with the
participants
With a view to blessing all the participants of
the festival destroying any possible
effect of evilness, a ritualistic dance,
‘Walliyak Mangallaya’ is performed
in the God Vishnu Temple in Kandy
Mahawamsa says the Tooth Relic was Abhayagiri Stupa
brought in the reign of King
Kithsiri Mewan 312 AD
It was placed in an urn of pure crystal
and brought it to the
Dhammacakka mandiraya
(This abode was built by King
Devanampiyatissa on the
Royal territory in 3rd century BC)
King Kithsiri Mewan spent 900,000
Kahapanas and arranged a
great festival for the Tooth Relic
He decreed that it should be brought
every year to the Abhayuttara
Vihara (Abhayagiri)
Tooth Relic should be taken round the
city once a year in spring
(March) up to Abhyagiri
This is a ritual enacted to request the
gods for rainfall in time
History of Kandy perahera (contd.)
Fa-hsien, a Chinese student in Abhayagiri 412-414, confirms that
this decree was faithfully carried out by his successors
Fa-hsien says all monks and laity who wish to lay up a store of
merit prepare and smooth the roads;
Adorn the street, highways and scatter every kind of flower and
offer incense in reverence to the Relic
Figures of Buddha’s previous birth are beautifully painted in
divers colors to depict life-like appearance
As they proceed on the way, religious offerings are made to it
when arrived at the Abhayagiri Vihara they placed it in
the Hall of Buddha (may be a image house)
All devotees perform every kind of religious activities, both night
and day, without ceasing
After ninety days The Tooth Relic again return to the Vihara in
the inner citadel
That is how the olden days they performed the Esala perahera in
Anuradhapura according to Fa-hsien, the Chinese
traveller
The Devala pageants that we have today in Kandy did not Temple for God Natha
form part of the procession referred by Fa-hsien
The Esala perahera with the four Hindu Dewale
peraheras were introduced in 1753 AD under
the reign of King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe due to
the request of Ven. Welivita Saranankara
Sangaraja Maha Thero, who was the chief
incumbent monk of ‘Siyam Sect’.
Before that the Kandy perahera consisted of the
processions of the God Natha, God Vishnu,
God Skanda and Goddess Patthini only
Apparently the Tooth Relic was escorted out of the city of
Kandy in the year 1828 during the days of the Temple for God Vishnu
Governor, Sir Edward Barns
Later (1853) it was handed over to the monks for the
first time in our history
Since then the tooth Relic has not been carried out of
temple
Thus, the golden casket placed upon the tusker
doesn’t contain the Tooth Relic and it is
merely symbolizes the presence of the Relic
Today the lay custodian of Tooth Relic is the
Diyawadana Nilame
- (explain the history of Tooth Relic)
 The process of the present pageant
Following the new moon in July a Jak tree or Rukkattana tree is cut and ‘Kap’ planted in
each Dewale (Jak = Artocarpus integrifolia, Rukkattana = Alstonia scholaris)
This is a vow that the perahera will be held
5 nights processions are conducted within the dewale premises with drums, flags and
torches
‘Kapurala’ walks in theses processions carrying the golden weapon called Ran Ayudhaya
This belong to the Deity of temple which used by him in battle
These processions are held in all Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama and Pattini Dewalas
On the 6th night starts the ‘Kumbal Perahera’
It’s named by that as the ‘Kap’ is placed in a clay structure resembling an ant-hill, a work
of Kumbal, and the pageant which goes round this
In this 6th night pageant is seen for the first time outside the Dewalas and is joined by
Maligawa Perahera
The chiefs of the temple wear their traditional Kandian court dress to participate the
procession
Each night the number of elephants are increased making perahera grander and
colourful
After 5 Kumbal peraheras the Randoli perahera is held, Randoli means Queens
Palanquin
The Golden casket of Tooth Relic 1775 the King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe ordered that the
palanquins should be put at the end of perahera
Because females not allowed to travel alongside the
Sacred Tooth Relic
Palanquins may be a symbol of the presence of the
consorts of deities or Royal queens travelled in them
(King’s palanquin is ‘Koonama’ Queens’s ‘Randoli’,
monks ‘Pallakkiya’, chieftains Dolawa & harem
Yakada doli)
Ancient period the king himself walked in the Randoli
Randoli Perahera with his retinue & Adhigars, and the Dissawa
All of them followed the last Dewale Perahera as they
couldn’t precedence over the Dalada or Dewala
In the olden days Buddhist monks also took part in the
perahera
And arrangements were done by the Sangkkara Lekama
who made liaison between the king and monks
Randoli Perahera goes round the city for five nights and
the final day is the grandest of all
The final day perahera goes out again, joined by devala
pageants and goes to Adhahanamaluwa Vihara
The perahera casket temporarily placed there and guarded by the
Basnayake Nilames of four dewalas Adahana Maluwa Vihara
King Keerithi Sri ordered this as a mark of respect to the Queen
mother who was cremated there
Dewala pageants return to their respective dewales and go out
again in the early morning for water cutting
Earlier this was done to commemorate a victory in battle and the
blood stained swords were cleansed
The battle took place between God Kataragama and demons
Today the kapuralas of the four dewalas fill goblets of river water
purified by the sword of the god
Goblets are kept in the dewales till the next year and fill again the
next year’s water cutting ceremony
Then the dewale peraheras return to the Ganadevi Kovila where
certain ceremonies are performed
The whole festival comes to the end when the following afternoon
The maligawa pageant returns to the Tooth relic temple from the
Adhahanamaluwa Vihara bringing back the golden casket
Dewale perahera also joined to the procession
Later the perahera breaks up and each dewala procession goes
back to its Dewala & finally the chiefs were received by
the king to whom they pay obeisance and reported the
success of the perahera and it had been held with due
ceremonial
Composition of the Tooth Relic Pageant

Wash the road

The whip crackers to lead the way, announce the
approach of perahera and clear the way
from crowed
They perform this duty only to the Randoli perahera
and do not take part in the Kumbal Perahera
Fire dancing and fire displays
The flag bearers walk next in single file on either
side of the road
The flags they carry are the standards of the different
provinces and the temples
Peramune rala comes next on an elephant back and
he carries Lekam Mitiya or the king’s permission
Fa hsien also refers to an official who proclaimed the
perahera
Next come a group of drummers and horanewa or a
kind of flutes giving vividness to the perahera
Gajanayaka Nilame comes next, he rides an elephant
and carries a silver goad to symbolize his
authority
He is the head of the king’s elephants stables
Kariyakorale walks next in the perahera
He is next to the Diyawadana Nilame and
responsible for ceremonies in the Tooth
Relic Temple
Diyawadana Nilame places the casket reverently in
the ranhilige, the howdah
Then the caparisoned Maligawa tusker comes
carrying the perahera casket containing
the sacred relics
Pavada or white cloth is spread on the way of the
tusker as a mark of respect for it to walk on
Diyawadana nilame joins the perahera with his
ceremonial costume
He will be surrounded by the drummers and
traditional dancers
All spectators, Buddhists and non Buddhists are
expected to stand when golden casket
passes them
Tusker is followed by two lines of
dancers facing each other
on either side of road with
drummers in the center
At the end of retinue, walks the
Diyawadana Nilame in all
oriental splendor
He is attended by lance bearers,
sun shade bearers and
umbrella bearers and
minor temple headmen
 Natha Dewala Pageant
Natha Dewale Perahera comes next
The howdah on the tusker’s back contains the
apparel and Regalia of God Natha
God Natha is not a Hindu deity but a native
The Natha dewale is given prominent place as
god Natha is the future Buddha, Maithrie
According to Mahayana Buddhism, out of five
Buddhas for this auspicious aeon, the
final one is Maithrie Buddha
The other four Buddhas had already served their
terms and they are Kakusanda,
Konagama, Kashyapa and Gauthama
Natha Devale is the oldest temple in Kandy
The Basnayake nilame of the dewale walks in the
perahera with his retinue of dancers
He is accompanied by the Basnayake Nilames of
Dodanwela, Vegiriya and Pasgama, the
‘Pitisara’ dewales
 Pageant of Vishnu Dewale
Vishnu Dewale pageant comes next
The Basnayake Nilame walks in the
procession with his retinue
of dancers and attendants
He is accompanied the Basnayakes
Nilames of Lankatilleke,
Gadaladeniya,
Alawathugoda,
Hanguranketha, Morape
and Mediri
God Vishnu is the protector of
Buddhism according to folk lore
And, to the Hinduism God Vishnu is
the sole protector of the
Universe
He is blue in colour and therefore the
Pageant decorations are
mostly blue in colour
His vehicle is the bird Gurula
 Pageant of Kataragama Devale
Kataragama Devale Perahera
follows next
Renamed as Skanda, the
younger son of God
Siva in Hinduism
His vehicle is the peacock
Believed to be powerful in war
Always carrying the lance in
one hand
It is believed he has 6 faces and
12 hands with mighty
power
The Basnayake Nilame walks in
the procession as usual
He is accompanied by Nilames
of the pitisara dewala
of Embekke and
Ganegoda
 Pageant of Patthini Dewale
Pattini Dewale pageant comes at last
A cult came to Sri Lanka during the king
Gajaba in 2nd century
It’s believed that barren women could get babies
after making vows to this goddess
In Sinhala Buddhists belief the Pattini is a guardian
deity of Buddhism
She is the deification of Kannagi, who is the
central character of the Tamil epic
Silapadhikaram of Ilango Adigal
She is worshipped by both Buddhists and Hindus
and is the patron goddess of fertility and health
Pattini is goddess who is supposed to get relieve
from virus diseases i.e. small pox, chicken
pox, measles and mumps which is
referred to as deviyange ledé ('the divine
affliction') in the Sinhalese language.
 Current order of proceedings in Dalada Pageant
Performance of whip
Dance of fire balls
Buddhist flags
District flags (clothes & brass)
Sword bearers
Peramune Rala (a guiding person)
Hevisi (drum) preformance
Gajanayake Nilame (OIC of elephants)
Players of Horanae (oriental flute)
Dance of hand fans (Chamara)
Dance of wooden sticks (Lee Keli)
Group of Pantheru (an instrument)
Talam players (cymbal players)
Havadi dangaya
Naiyadi Group
Sword parade
Dance of Pantheru
Players of hand timbrel (Rabana)
Dance of Talam
Dance of Pantheru
Dance of Weval (cane)
Dance of Udakki ( a small drum)
Group of Naiyadi
Sword dance
Players of Tammattamm (twin drums)
Dance of timbrelDance of Pantheru
Dance of Paturu (sticks)
Dance of Udakki
Ves dance (traditional up country dance)
Kariya Karawana Korala (Chief of duties)
Nagasinghem
The tusker with Golden Relic casket and the
two elephants at either side
Two Buddhist flags
Kavikara Maduwa
Carriers of flowers and oil lamps
Wes Dance
Diyawadana Nilame
Two guards and the pearl umbrella
Two Burma flags
Procession of the God Natha
Procession of the God Vishnu
Procession of the God Skadna (Kataragama)
Procession of the Goddess Pattini
 The aim this festival is summarized thus:

‘Devo wassathu kalena ‘let there be rain in time

Sassa sampatthi hethucha let there be abundance in crops
Peetho bhawathu lokocha let all beings be happy, and
Raja Bhawathu dhammiko’ let the ruler be of virtuous disposition’

The route of Tooth Relic from Anuradhapura to Kandy:

• Anuradhaapura ……………………………. 312 AD to 1017 AD
• Temples of Tooth Relics in Polonnaruwa till 1215 AD
• Kothmale ………………………………….. 1215-1232
• Beligala …………………………………… 1232-1236
• Dambadeniya ……………………………… 1236-1271
• Yapahuwa …………………………………. 1271-1284
• Polonnaruwa (2nd time) …………………… 1287-1293
• Kurunegala ………………………………... 1293-1325
• Gampola …………………………………... 1372-1408
• Kotte ………………………………………. 1410-1475
• Delgamuwa Temple – till 1593
• Kandy Tooth Relic Temple since ………… 1593 – up to date
Thank You