Festivals
Sri Lanka, an unpretentious island at the foot of the vast Indian subcontinent, is a welcome surprise for visitors. It has a strong culture, a diverse religious landscape, and a cuisine to match. These are enough grounds to entice the tourist.
With Buddhists and Hindus constituting the majority of the country's population, holidays have mostly been preserved by these two religious groups. Due to the country's colonial history, a few Christian festivals are also observed. The primary days of celebration include Buddhist 'poya' days, Hindu festivals such as Tamil New Year and Maha Shivratri, Christmas, Vesak Poya (festival of lights), and the Sinhalese New Year.
Nallur Festival
The Nallur festival is the centrepiece of Jaffna, a small town. The event is held at the Nallur Kandaswamy Temple and lasts 25 days, culminating on the poya day in August. Throughout the month, the town is filled with festivities, new outfits, music, dance, and cuisine.
Navam Perahera in Colombo
In February, Colombo celebrates the annual Navam Perahera celebration, which lasts two days. An enormous parade is staged at the Gangaramaya Vihara Temple, where a Buddhist procession occurs at night beneath the full moon. Millions of people attend the festivities, which also include monks, drummers, dancers, and trained elephants.
Kataragama Perahera Festival
Kataragama comes alive in July during the Kataragama Perahara event. The event lasts two weeks and includes a parade of elephants, regional dance performances, ceremonial fire walkers, fire eaters, singers, musicians, and other entertainers who take over the streets.
Vesak Festival
Vesak, also known as Buddh Purnima or Buddha Day, is a significant occasion in Sri Lankan culture. It is a day set aside to celebrate the spiritual leader's key life events. The shrines are filled with flower, sweet, and candle offerings, as well as devotional singing.
Kandy Perahara
One of Buddhism's oldest and biggest celebrations, it honours the Sacred Tooth Relic and the four 'guardian' Gods Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama, and Goddess Pattini. This is celebrated with great enthusiasm around August. The sweltering heat is only in the plains; Kandy has excellent weather.
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