The perahera festival will begin with the Kap Planting ceremony, which will be held on 24th July. The Kumbal Perahera (procession) will parade the street from 29th July to 2nd August.


The Randoli Perahera will commence on 3rd August and will finish with the final Randoli Perahera on 7th August. The entire Esala festival will conclude with the day Perahera and water cutting ceremony to be held on 8th August.  According to the Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela, nearly 3,000 artists and 75 tamed elephants and tuskers will join this year’s perahara.


The Perahera will be telecast live on local and foreign media, he added.


A press Conference in this regard was held at the Ministry of Finance and Mass Media today (20th July) and Deputy Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna also participated on this occasion.