Kandy Esala Perehera on Velvet - Gold

Esala Perahera (the procession of Esala) is the grand festival with elegant costumes held in July or August in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It has become a unique symbol of Sri Lanka. It is a Buddhist festival consisting of dances and colourfully decorated elephants. There are fire-dances, whip-dances, Kandyan dances and various other cultural dances. The elephants are usually adorned with lavish garments. The festival ends with the traditional diya-kepeema ritual, a water cutting ceremony which is held at the Mahaweli River at Getambe, Kandy.