The Esala Perahera

For ten nights in July or August, Kandy stages the Esala Perahera, one of the oldest and most spectacular religious processions in Asia. Each evening a procession leaves the Temple of the Tooth, which holds a relic of the Buddha, and moves through the streets in a slow river of fire and drumming: whip-crackers clearing the way, torch bearers, ranks of Kandyan dancers spinning in silver, drummers, and elephants in embroidered and illuminated caparisons, at the centre of which walks the great tusker carrying the casket. The procession grows longer and grander each night, building to the Randoli Perahera in the final evenings, and ends with a water-cutting ceremony at dawn in the river. The dates shift with the lunar calendar, so they must be checked each year.

What you actually see

• The tusker and casket - the central elephant carrying the relic casket under lights.
• Kandyan dancers and drummers - the ranks of performers in silver and white.
• The fire dancers and whip-crackers - the torch-lit vanguard clearing the route.
• The final Randoli nights - the grandest evenings at the end of the ten.

When to go

The festival falls in July or August, with exact dates set by the lunar calendar and published a few months ahead; the last few nights are the largest. Book accommodation and any seat months in advance, as Kandy fills entirely. Processions start late in the evening and run for hours.

Honest expectations

Kandy is overwhelmed during the festival: rooms cost several times the normal rate and sell out far ahead, streets close and the crush is considerable. Seats on balconies and stands are sold at steep prices and quality varies wildly, so book through your accommodation rather than a tout. The use of elephants is contested on welfare grounds, and some visitors choose not to attend for that reason; it is worth deciding with open eyes.

Nearby

The Temple of the Tooth and Kandy's lake are at the centre; the tea country and Nuwara Eliya lie south.