The first Kumbal Perahera of the Kandy Esala Festival will parade the streets of Kandy tonight (July 30), marking the official commencement of the annual cultural and religious celebrations at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.
The Perahera will set off from the forecourt of the Sri Dalada Maligawa at 7.05 p.m., proceeding along Dalada Veediya, D.S. Senanayake Street, Pansala Road, Deva Veediya, Colombo Street, Yatinuwara Street, and returning via Raja Veediya.
The Kumbal Perahera will be held for five consecutive nights, culminating in the Randoli Perahera, which begins on August 4.
The highlight of the festival, the final Randoli Perahera, will take place on Nikini Poya Day (August 8), followed by the Diya-Kepuma Mangallaya at the Getambe River the next morning.
The festival will officially conclude with the Day Perahera on August 9, ending one of Sri Lanka’s oldest and most revered cultural traditions.
To ensure security and smooth operations, over 6,000 Police and Armed Forces personnel have been deployed across the Kandy city.
