Sri Lanka > Events

DECEMBER –APRIL

Sri Pada Pilgrimage Season
Sri Pada, or Adam's Peak as it is known to Westerners, is a mountain 2,237 meters high situated in the south-west corner of the Central Highlands. Thousands of pilgrims from many faiths climb the mountain to pay homage and make observances commencing from the full-moon day of December to the full-moon day of April the following year. Buddhists believe that it enshrines the foot print of Gauthama Buddha at the summit.
Hindus, Muslims and Christians also make pilgrimages for their own religious reasons. The spectacle of a sunrise from the mountain top is an unforgettable sight.

JANUARY

Duruthu Perahera
A colourful religious pageant at the Kelaniya Temple 12 kilo meters away from the city of Colombo. It is a colourful procession of caparisoned elephants, torch bearers and traditional dancers.

FEBRUARY

Independence Day
This day commemorates the granting of independence to Sri Lanka by the British on 4th February 1948. It is a great patriotic and national occasion celebrated with colourful parades and pageants depicting the nation's culture.

Navam Perahera
A colourful traditional perahera organised by Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo parades the city streets for two nights. Dancers, elephants, and whip crackers make it an unforgettable event.

APRIL

Sinhala and Tamil New Year
The Sinhalese-Buddhists and Tamil-Hindus celebrate a common traditional New Year in the month of April. This marks the passage of the sun from Pisces to Aries. Traditional customs are observed on this day with merry-making and lavish hospitality.

MAY

Vesak Full Moon (poya)
Vesak is a thrice blessed day for Buddhists throughout the world. It commemorates the birth of Prince Siddhartha, his attaining enlightenment and passing away into Nibbana as Gauthama Buddha. It is a day of great sanctity devoted to religious observances and charity. The day is also celebrated with festivity with numerous colourful decorations and illuminations, pandols and pageants. Wayside stalls distribute food and refreshments to the pilgrims and passers by.

JUNE

Poson Full Moon (poya)
Poson, the full-moon festival commemorates the advent of Buddhism to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BC. The day is celebrated with religious observances. The centre of festivities is at Mihintale, about 12 kilometers from Anuradhapura where the Buddhist doctrine was
first preached by Arahat Mahinda, son of the great Emperor Asoka of India. Apart from religious festivals there are illuminations and decorations and processions in various parts of the island.

JULY - AUGUST

Esala Festival -Kandy
Esala (July/August) is the season of festivals in Sri Lanka and the full moon day of Esala is the climax of some of the festivals. The most magnificent of these festivals is the Kandy Esala Perahera. A spectacular medieval day pageant is held for 10 nights, climaxing with the Kandyan dancers and .'drummers in colourful traditional costumes.
Kandyan chieftains in medieval court dress, more than one hundred caparisoned elephants, whip crackers, torch bearers etc., make it an unforgettable experience.

Kataragama
The Kataragama festival is another major Esala Festival. Kataragama in the south-east corner of the island is a shrine dedicated to God Skanda and is a popular pilgrim centre for Buddhists and Hindus. Fire walking and the annual perahera in July/August are some of its highlights.

Dondra
In Southern Sri Lanka, 165 kilo meters from Colombo is the shrine dedicated to God Vishnu at Dondra, where Esala festivals take place every year with colourful perahera's featuring Kandyan and low country dancers.

Bellanwila
A colourful Esala pageant is also held at the Rajamaha Vihara (Buddhist temple) at Bellanwila, a Southern suburb of Colombo. The perahera features low-country folk dancers in addition to Kandyan dancers.

Munneswaram
About 85 kilometers north of Colombo (3 kilometers from) Chilaw) is a Hindu Shrine dedicated to God Siva, where a colourful temple festival with fire walking, takes place during the Esala Festival time. This is a popular pilgrim centre for both Hindus and Buddhists.

Vel
Some of Colombo's main streets take on a festival atmosphere in August when the capital's main Hindu festival takes place. An ornately decorated Vel Chariot makes its annual trip carrying the weapons of God Skanda from one temple to the other.
(The exact date of the Kandy Esala Perahera and of the other festivals are announced only during the first quarter of the year.)

SEPTEMBER

Facets
The 12th Sri Lankan international gem and jewellery exhibition in Colombo.

NOVEMBER

Deepavali
The festival of lights celebrated by all Hindus. Hindu homes are lit up at night, new clothes worn,homes spring-cleaned and all Hindus purify themselves with an oil bath. Illuminations are designed to welcome the goddess Lakshmi.

DECEMBER

Sangamitta Day
(Unduvap Full Moon)
This day marks the historic event of bringing the sapling of a branch of the sacred Bo tree under which Gauthama Buddha attained enlightenment in India. The branch of the Bodhi tree was brought by Arahat Theri Sangamitta, sister of Arahat Mahinda and daughter of Emperor Asoka.