Kandy Perahera 2025 - Sri Lanka's most spectacular festival
Kandy Perahera, one of Asia's highly traditional and most spectacular parades, takes place in the Buddhist month of Esala, usually in August. The Kandy festival season lasts a fortnight. There are three stages of the Kandy festival, each for a period of 5 days. The largest pageants with the highest numbers of tuskers take place in the last five nights, culminating in the very last night of the festival period.
Find confirmed dates below!
In the month of August you have opportunities to see impressive festivals also at other places closer to coastal holiday destination. To learn about the alternatives, please click here...
Astrological Timing: In general, the final night of the Kandy Perahera festival season is on Nikini Poya Day, which marks the end of the month called Esala. Nikini Poya is the Buddhist astrological full moon night in August. Usually, this coincides with the astronomical full moon night. However, in some years Nikini Poya can be one night earlier or later than the astronomical full moon time suggests. Thus be aware: There is no guarantee that Nikini Poya falls on the date mentioned as August full moon in your calendar! Furthermore, the date of the astronomical fullmoon day in Sri Lanka can also differ one day from that in East Asia or Europe or America, just due to different time zones. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that the entire festival is dated according to the Nikini date. However, Nikini Poya was the final day of the Kandy festival in recent years. It is highly likely, that this will be the case in 2025, too.
Find confirmed dates below!
In the month of August you have opportunities to see impressive festivals also at other places closer to coastal holiday destination. To learn about the alternatives, please click here...
Astrological Timing: In general, the final night of the Kandy Perahera festival season is on Nikini Poya Day, which marks the end of the month called Esala. Nikini Poya is the Buddhist astrological full moon night in August. Usually, this coincides with the astronomical full moon night. However, in some years Nikini Poya can be one night earlier or later than the astronomical full moon time suggests. Thus be aware: There is no guarantee that Nikini Poya falls on the date mentioned as August full moon in your calendar! Furthermore, the date of the astronomical fullmoon day in Sri Lanka can also differ one day from that in East Asia or Europe or America, just due to different time zones. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that the entire festival is dated according to the Nikini date. However, Nikini Poya was the final day of the Kandy festival in recent years. It is highly likely, that this will be the case in 2025, too.
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Our Lanka Excursion Holidays tip is: Plan your Kandy Perahera visit for the or 6th August 2025. Why that? The pageants of the last five nights are the same concerning numbers of dancers and elephants. What differs, is only visitor numbers. They cumulate in the last night.
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TEntative Kandy Perahera dates 2024
The first five pageants in Kandy:
30th July: 1st Kumbal Perahera 31st July 2025: 2nd Kumbal Perahera 01th August 2025: 3rd Kumbal Perahera 02th August 2025: 4th Kumbal Perahera 03th August 2025: Last Kumbal Perahera The five largest processions in Kandy: 04th August 2025: 1st Randoli Perahera 05th August 2025: 2nd Randoli Perahera 06th August 2025: 3rd Randoli Perahera 07th August 2025: 4th Randoli Perahera 08th August 2025: Final Randoli Perahera Day-time ceremony of water-cutting: 09 August 2025: Diya Kepeema The exact dates of Sri Lanka's Peraheras are usually announced in the first quarter of a year. In the case of Kandy Perahera they are published a few months earlier, as this festival is of higher relevance for holiday planning of foreign guests.
As a reminder: The greatest processions, known as Randoli Peraheras, will be held 5 times: in the last 5 nights of the Kandy festival season. This means: To see the largest pageant, you have 5 occasions, NOT only the very last night of the festival. |
Sequence of Kandy Processions
After a small opening ceremony called Kap Situveema, the cutting and planting of the Kapa, at Vishnu Devale near the Tooth Temple, the first nighttime celebrations are so-called "Devale Peraheras", ceremnies only within Hindu temple premises.
Kumbal PeraherasAccording to backpacker's bible, Lonely Planet, the Kandy Perahera is a 10-days event. Actually, it's a full fortnight festival season. Nevertheless, there is good reason to describe it as a 10-days event: Only 10 successive evening processions are held in Kandy city that really deserve the name "Perahera". The first five of these ten pageants are called "Kumbal Peraheras". Their focus of attention is not yet the Buddhist Tooth Relic, as the four Hindu Devales of Kandy still play the prominent role. Kumbal Peraheras in Kandy are worth a visit, but you should know: These first five processions are not yet the famous Great Kandy Peraheras shown in TV documentaries.
Randoli PeraherasThe last 5 days of the Kandy Perahera are the pageants of the famous Sacred Tooth Relic (or rather a copy of it). Only these final five evening processions known as "Randoli Perahera" can be called the “Great Kandy Perahera” in a narrow sense. The name “Randoli” refers to palanquins on which the consorts of Kandy kings traditionally used to travel.
The exact route of the Randoli Perahera can change, but each proscession starts and ends in front of the Tooth Relic Temple. The very best and most expensive seats for guests are provided between Tooth Temple and Queens Hotel. The beginning and end of each perahera is signalled by a cannon shot. After approximatele half or two thirds of the parade with dozens of adorned elephants, the relic casket of the replica of the Tooth Relic can be seen on the biggest and best illuminated tusker, flanked by two smaller elephants. This is not at all the end of the parade. The Buddhist Tooth Relic will be followed by processions of Kandy’s four Hindu Devales. The first one is of Natha, a regional god of the highland area in and around Kandy, who is also venerated as a Bodhisattva, a future Buddha. The second is Vishnu, his manifestation on Sri Lanka is called Upulvan, symbolized by blue colour. The third is Kataragama, the local form of Skanda or of the Tamil Murugan, his colour is read, and this god`s parade is the noisiest and wildest. The last part of the Perahera is the parade of Pattini, the female goddess of fertility. The centrepeace of each of these processions is, again, a tusker carrying the insignia of the respective temple, accompanied by other elephants. You will het the impression that almost every young man from Kandy takes part in one of these parades and dances in traditional Sinhalese dresses. 80% or even more of the dancers are male. Only the last parade, that of goddess Pattini, has remakably more female dancers. |
Kumbal Peraheras, here seen in front of Queens Hotel, are the first 5 night parades, the subsequent 5 Randoli Peraheras are much larger
Reserving seats for Kandy Perahera in August 2024
Actually, you don't need a seat to see the Kandy procession. Access to all streets in Kandy is free. However, you should be aware: The town is crowded, many locals come many hours in advance to find a place with a good view. When the procession starts, all the streets along the route are overcrowded. You will hardly be able to move and, honestly, you will not see much of the parade, unless you go to those streets that are farer away from the Toooth Temple and choose a night prior to the final festival night.
However, we highly recommend not to stand hours and hours in the crowds but to reserve a comfortable seat on a podium with a much better view. Seats close to the Tooth Temple and Queens Hotel are more expensive than those in some distance. It's your choice. Planning your tour in the mid or second half of August 2024, you should definitely not miss the Kandy Perahara. Although frequented by many foreign guests, this is actually a genuine Sri Lankan festival and NOT A TOURIST SHOW!!! It's really an unforgettable event. Thus, if you are planning your 2024 holidays in August, please let us know your exact dates and your other travelling plans. If you like, we will work out an itinerary including a visit of this spectacular parade. Please contact us...
However, we highly recommend not to stand hours and hours in the crowds but to reserve a comfortable seat on a podium with a much better view. Seats close to the Tooth Temple and Queens Hotel are more expensive than those in some distance. It's your choice. Planning your tour in the mid or second half of August 2024, you should definitely not miss the Kandy Perahara. Although frequented by many foreign guests, this is actually a genuine Sri Lankan festival and NOT A TOURIST SHOW!!! It's really an unforgettable event. Thus, if you are planning your 2024 holidays in August, please let us know your exact dates and your other travelling plans. If you like, we will work out an itinerary including a visit of this spectacular parade. Please contact us...
Accommodation for visits of the Kandy Festival
Though Kandy hotels and guesthouses will charge high seasonal supplements during the Kandy festival days, they are often fully booked many weeks in advance. This is why we recommend to book accommodation in Kandy already some months prior to the Kandy festival days. Please contact us for this purpose already before April 2024, if possible.
Alternatively, Lanka Excursion Holidays could reserve accommodation without Kandy Perahera surplus charges in neighbouring towns. You would have to drive about one hour to Kandy (one way) to see the evening Perahera, but could avoid the crowds for the rest of the day.
Alternatively, Lanka Excursion Holidays could reserve accommodation without Kandy Perahera surplus charges in neighbouring towns. You would have to drive about one hour to Kandy (one way) to see the evening Perahera, but could avoid the crowds for the rest of the day.
Sri Lanka's festival season in the month of Esala
(end of July and begin of August)
August is not only the of Sri Lanka’s most famous annual festival called Kandy Perahera. Three other major religious severa-day celebrations take place during the south-western monsoon rainy season, namely the Kataragama festival, the Saman Devale Perahera and the Bellanwila Perahera. In some years some of these festivals coincide.
Kataragama Festival in the month of Esala
Kataragama is the name of one of both a god and its temple town, which is one of the most significant significant places of pilgrimages in Sri Lanka. Kataragama is situated near Yala National Park in the southeast of the island. The Kataragama festival is one of the most spectacular events in Sri Lanka, world-famous for its firewalks and piercings of tongue or skin. Interestingly, this festival is joined by Tamil Hindus and Sinhalese Buddhists alike and even by some Muslims. The 15-days festival is celebrated in the month Esala, too, but it usually takes place two weeks earlier than the Kandy Perahera, though in some years the festival times may overlap.
Ratnapura Perahera - insider tipp
Maha Saman Devale near Ratnapura is the main shrine of Saman, the guadian deity of Siri Pada (Adam’s Peak) and Sabaragamuwa Province. The annual Perahera in Ratnapura usually takes place in a little bit later than the Kandy Perahera. The Ratnapura pageant is the second largest on the island. It’ not much less impressive and spectacular, compared to the more famous Kandy Perahera, though less elephants will be parading. It’s much less frequented by tourists and thereby even more authentic (and less expensive) than the Kandy Perahera. One main feature of the Ratnapura Perahera is an effigy of the giant Maha Baha having two faces into opposite directions, a smiling and an angry one. The procession takes place in August or September.
Bellanwila Perahera in Colombo
Bellanwila is situated in the outskirts of Colombo. The temple is prowd to own one of the first 32 saplings of Anuradhapura’s Sacred Bo Tree. The Bellanwila Esala Maha Perahera is the largest procession in the most densely populated area of Sri Lanka in the monsoon season. (Kelaniya festival near Colombo, even large and spectacular, is held in January in the dry season). Bellanwila Perahera usually takes place a little a little not later then Kandy Perahera.
more Esala festivals in Sri Lanka...
Other festivals during the same south-west monsoon period are, for example, Vishnu Devala Perahera in Devinuwara (Dondra) at the southern tip of the island and Munneshwaram Perahera, which is Sri Lanka’s longest celebrated festival, held during an entire month. And Esala festival of the historic Sri Devol Maha Devalaya in Seenigama near Hikkaduwa. Not only Buddhist celebrations take place during these months, as there are several Hindu celebrations in August and September on the Jaffna Peninsula, though Sri Lanka’s largest Hindu festival, the Mahostavam (Thiruvizha) at Nagapushani Amman Kovil on the island of Nainativu, is celebrated earlier in the Tamil month of Aani (end of June, begin of July).
Summary
July till first half of September is the main period of Perahera festivals in Sri Lanka. Impressive elephant pageants are held in several town in different regions of Sri Lanka. The most famous and probably most spectacular processions, of course, are those in Kandy. By far the largest are the so-called Randoli Peraheras, they are expected to be held in Kandy in the late evening hours of the five final festival days: 15 - 19th August 2024.
