The "Esala Perahera" is one of the oldest and largest of all Buddhist festivals, featuring dancers, jugglers, musicians, fire breathers, and lavishly decorated elephants. The date for the ten-day celebration is determined by the lunar calendar and usually falls in July or August. It marks the end of the dry season and the beginning of the rains. Elephants play an important role in the festival as they symbolize the rain clouds that gather before the downpour begins. Today, the festival is more of a national holiday than a religious one, celebrating one of Buddha's teeth.
According to tradition, Emperor Ashoka, who ruled India in the 3rd century BC, was supposed to send relics that remained after Buddha’s cremation. Today, these relics are housed in various temples scattered throughout Asia. One of the holiest temples is certainly the "Temple of the Sacred Tooth" in Kandy, Sri Lanka, where one of Buddha's four canine teeth is enshrined. Buddhists treat it as if it were a living being, offering food and drink to the relic every morning, noon, and evening.
Kandy was once the capital of the Kingdom of Sri Lanka, which came to an end in 1815 when the British deposed the last king, Sri Vikrama Rajasinghe. The capital then moved to Colombo. However, Kandy is still known for the cultural festival "Esala Perahera." During the festival, Buddha’s sacred tooth is paraded through the streets of Kandy in a golden casket, carried by an elephant, and Buddhists believe it has magical powers that can bring rain.
The annual Esala Perahera lasts for ten consecutive nights, concluding on the morning before the full moon.