Kandy prepares for the Esala Perahera

Kandy is preparing for the Esala Perahera, one of Asia’s great processions, which blends religious devotion, traditional dance and centuries of pageantry into nights of torch-lit spectacle.

Tradition and tourism

The festival draws pilgrims and visitors from across the world, a boon for the local economy that also raises perennial questions about crowd management and the welfare of the procession’s elephants.

For Kandyans, the Perahera remains first and foremost an act of faith and identity.