Esala Perahera (The Great Summer Parade)

A 10-day torchlight parade of dancers and drummers, dignitaries, and ornately decorated elephants, the great Esala Perahera is a spectacular event, an absolute must-see for those visiting the country during this time of the year. One of the finest cultural festivals in Asia it also may be the largest Buddhist celebration in the world.

During the full moon in late July or early August, a royal male elephant carries the reliquary of the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha and leads the procession, flanked by two perfectly matched, smaller elephants.

As many as 100 elephants, dressed in elaborate finery, make their way into town accompanied by torch-bearers and fire dancers. Whip-cracking porters clear the way through the throngs of pilgrims, followed by musicians, jugglers, dancers and acrobats, and members of noble families in their traditional Kandyan finery.

Attendance at the Esala Perahera every year is about a million people.

Access: 15 minute drive from Chaaya Citadel Kandy to the observation point organised by the hotel.