Kandy's glorious hours

by Aditha Dissanayake

Dating back to the 4th Century when Prince Danta and Princess Hemamala brought the Tooth Relic of the Buddha, from Tramlalipti, a port located at the mouth of the river Ganges, to the port of Lankapattana, in Trincomalee, disguised as ascetics with the relic hidden inside Hemamala's coiffure, many an event has been held across the years to mark the Tooth Relic's significance.

After having travelled to almost every city where a kingdom was formed beginning with Anuradhapura, the Relic has now found its final abode in Kandy. Thus, every year in July the streets of Kandy transcend into an atmosphere of religious festivity beginning with the Dalada procession followed by the four Devale Peraheras, in the order of Natha, Visnu, Kataragama and Pattini.

This year, though, is an exception. This year the perahera which started on August 19th will conclude on August 29th. According to Mudiyanse Konara, Addministrative Secretary at the Dalada Maligawa, this is due to there being an Adi poya this year.

"The days of the perahera differ from year to year depending on the time the monks begin the Vas season as well" explains Konara.

There will be eighteen tuskers taking part in the perahera this year with even tuskers brought from Myanmar among them, who would be officially handed over to the Dalada Maligawa by the Prime Minister of Myanmar on August 28th. According to Konara, every single tusker alive in the country today, is there in Kandy right at this moment, taking part in the Perahera.

To quote from the official website of the Dalada Maligawa, www.sridaladamaligawa.lk "Prior to the commencement of the respective processions, elaborate preparations are made within the premises such as the dressing of the elephants, dressing of the Diyawadana Nilame and the Basnayaka Nilames and other important officers participating in the processions, arrangement of the different groups of musicians, dancers, singers, flag and firebrand bearers, placing of the casket on the back of the elephant, etc.

The important times are announced by the firing of canon balls - the first to announce the commencement of the four devale peraheras, the second at the time of placing the casket on the elephant's back and the third to announce the commencement of the Dalada perahera and the last, to announce the completion of the perahera.

The Buddhist flag bearers

Groups of Kandyan dancers

Groups of traditional up-country dancers

Continuing family traditions

At the head of the Dalada procession are the whip lashers and the fireball acrobats, the main purpose of these two groups being to clear the route of any obstacles from the path of the procession. Next, the Buddhist flag bearers approach, signifying the religious nature of the procession, who are followed by bearers of flags of districts and the Viharas and Devales.

The first elephant walking in front is ridden by the officer called `Peramune Rala' (Front Officer). In ancient times, he carried the record of the king's permission to hold the procession. Today he carries the palm-leaf manuscript called `Lekam-mitiya' (Records of lands of the Tooth Relic Temple and the names of servicemen of the Maligava).

He is followed by groups of Kandyan dancers and drummers. On the back of the second elephant rides the Gajanayaka Nilame (Chieftain in charge of elephants) and the third elephant is ridden by the officer known as Kariya Korala (Officer next in command to the Diyawadana Nilame). In between these elephants are intermingling groups of musicians, dancers, and others carrying flags and banners.

The most significant section of the procession, is the caparisoned Tusker carrying the casket walking majestically, flanked by two elephants with riders holding the Canopy over the casket fanned and sprinkled with flowers.

The tusker usually walks in a long white cloth spread on its path. A group of singers (Kavikara Maduva) proceed ahead singing the praise of the Tooth Relic. The Diyawadana Nilame (Lay Custodian of the Tooth Relic) walks behind in the company of his assistant officers. The most skilled dancers and drummers participate in this section.

The traditional symbolic weaponry are carried here on either side. Thus ends the Dalada section of the pageant."

Next come the four devala processions. The perahera of the last day is terminated not in the Tooth Relic Temple, but at the Adahanamaluva Gedige Vihara of the Asgiriya monastery.

The significance of this is that originally, the Tooth Relic was housed in this Vihare temporarily before the Relic was housed in the shrine within the royal complex.

In the early morning after the final Randoli perahera, the four devale priests go in procession to the ancient ford at Gatambe at Peradeniya and perform the ritual known as `Diya-Kapilla'. (Water-cutting ceremony), where each of the lay priests (Kapurala) proceed to the middle of the river Mahavali at this point, and after cutting the water surface with a sword, immediately fills the brass pot.

These pots are carried back to the shrines, after being blessed on the way at the Katukale Pulleiyyar (Ganesh) Kovil, and the water pots are preserved in the gods' chambers until the next annual procession."

Thus, on August 29, the Kandy perahera will come to a conclusion for this year, to be enacted again in July or August next year, in the year after that and the year after that - complex, vibrant, as colourful as the strands of Asela hanging from the trees seen all over the Kandy town, honouring a tradition which seemingly will never end.

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