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Brief History of the Tooth Relic and the Tooth Relic Temple in Kandy
and Esala pageant
The Gauthama Buddha passed away in Kusinara, in India (6th Century BC) as the reality
of life.
According to generally accepted dating, the Buddha was born in 564 BC and
passed away in 484 BC.
His body was cremated in a sandal wood pyre and an Arahath Khema secured a sacred
tooth relic from the pyre.
This relic was the lower canine tooth of the left jaw.
It had been taken direct from the funeral pyre.
He handed over it to King Brahmadattha, the king of Kalinga.
(Modern Orissa in India)
King Guhaseeva eventually inherited this Tooth Relic and venerated it.
Hindus protested venerating the Tooth Relic considering it was heathen or against their
Hinduism faith.
King Guhaseeva was a king who ruled Kalinga under the Pandian Emperor.
The emperor wanted to destroy the Tooth Relic, but unable to do so according legends.
The result was a war declared against King Guhaseeva solely to destroy or take into
their custody of the sacred Tooth Relic.
The king made arrangements to marry his daughter, princess Hemamaala to prince
Dantha.
He is a son of another regional king named Udeni and they brought the Tooth Relic to
Sri Lanka.
They came disguised as a couple of Brahmins, with the Sacred Tooth Relic hidden in
the hair of the princess.
They landed in the port named Lanka Pattanam in eastern part of Sri Lanka.
Tooth Relic had been handed over to the custody of the King Keerthi Sri Meghawarna
(301-328 AD) he was the ruler in Sri Lanka at that time in the Anuradhapura kingdom.
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The king enshrined the Tooth Relic in a pure crystal bowl and housed it in a temple.
This temple was known as Dammachakka Mandira in the inner citadel of Anuradhapura.
Tooth Relic was never enshrined in a stupa like other relics.
But always remained a movable admired object devoutly venerated by the Buddhists.
Later it became the palladium of Sinhala Royalty and the emblem of the kingship.
By the 12th century making it essential to claim one’s legitimate right to the throne.
Therefore when the capital of the kingdom shifted from place to place the Tooth Relic
too, was moved.
The capital shifted from Anuradhapura to Polonnaruwa due to the invasion of Cholas
in 1017 AD.
The Tooth Relic was brought to Polonnaruwa by the King Vijayabahu I and placed in
Polonnaruwa.
This second temple of Tooth Relic, known as ‘Ata da ge’ in Polonnaruwa.
Kalinga Magha invaded Polonnaruwa in 1215AD, and the Tooth Relic was carried to
Kothmale secretly by the Buddhist monks.
After the Polonnaruwa era King Vijayabahu III (1232-1236) chose Dambadeniya as
the capital.
The Tooth Relic was housed in a temple which was located on the peak of Beligala in
the District of Kegalle most probably in the year of 1232.
The son of King Vijayabahu III, King Parakramabahu II (1236-1270) brought the Tooth
Relic to Dambadeniya.
King Buwanekabahu I (1272-1284) who selected Yapahuwa as the capital due to
invasions brought the Tooth Relic to Yapahuwa.
In 1284, Aryachakrawarthi, a minister of the Pandya king in India invaded Yapahuwa
and he took away the Tooth Relic to India.
Parakramabahu III 1287-1292 (nephew of Buwanekabahu I and son of Vijayabahu VI)
persuaded Pandian to return the Tooth Relic after making a personal trip to their
court in India.
He brought back the Tooth Relic most probably after accepting the Pandian Emperor
as his overlord.
He chose Polonnaruwa as the capital again and placed the Tooth Relic there.
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King Parakramabahu IV (1302-1326) placed the Tooth Relic in a temple built in
Kurunegala as he made it his capital.
The Tooth Relic was brought to Kotte by king Parakramabahu VI (1412-1467) and
housed in a three storyed temple.
In 1592 King Wimaladharmasuriya came into power in Kandyan kingdom and he
constructed a temple for the sacred Tooth Relic.
Before the Temple of Tooth Relic in Kandy became the dwellings of the Tooth Relic
in 1592, it was hidden in the temple of Delgamuwa in Kuruwita.
The British became the rulers of the entire Island in 1815 through the Kandyan
Convention.
The sacred Tooth Relic had been taken to the hill country for safety.
Later a British agent brought it back to Kandy.
During 1818 insurgency in Kandy the Tooth Relic was taken away from Kandy and
hidden in a forest.
After controlling the upheaval, the British were able to find the Tooth Relic and bring
it back to Kandy and kept in the custody of the British Government until 1853.
The secretary of State for the Colonies ordered to hand over the Tooth Relic to the
Diyawadana Nilame the lay custodian and the chief incumbents of Malwatte
and Asgiriya Monasteries in Kandy.
The city of Kandy lies at an altitude of 488.6 meters MSL.
It’s treated as one of the entrances to the hill country.
Three fourth of the city is surrounded by the Mahaveli River which is longest and largest
river in the island and provided the natural protection to the city.
Kandy was the last stronghold of Sri Lankan Kings.
The kingdom was founded by Wimaladharmasooriya I, in 1592 AD.
Kingdom was lasted until the British captured it in 1815 AD.
The original name of the area is Kanda-Uda-Pasrata which derives the name for the
mountainous kingdom comprising five areas.
When Portuguese invaded Kanda Uda Rata they shortened its name to ‘Candea’
Later Dutch and British also used the same name.
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The Brutish used the pronunciation ‘Candea’ for sweetmeats therefore they changed
the spelling as ‘Kandy’.
The Sinhala people gave the name ‘Maha Nuwara’ (The Great City) to the Kandy city.
12 Kings ruled the upcountry Kingdom from 1469 to 1815 until the British captured
the kingdom.
They were:
Sena Sammatha Wickremabahu 1469-1511
Jayaweera 1511-1551
Karaliyadda Bandara 1581-1591
Rajasinghe I 1581-1591 (Ruled from Sitawaka)
Wimaladharmasooriya I 1592-1604
Senarath 1604-1635
Rajasinghe II 1629-1687
Wimaladharmasooriya II 1687-1707
Sri Weeraparakrame Narendrasinghe 1707-1739 (Last Sinhala king)
Sri Vijaya Rajasinghe 1739-1747(Nayakkar from South India)
Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe 1747-1781 (- Do-)
Rajadhi Rajasinghe 1781-1798 (- Do-)
Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe 1798-1815 (- Do-)
During King Senarath’s period and later onwards there were so many invasions from
Portuguese and subsequently the Dutch.
The first attempt of British invasion was a failure, but second time succeeded as a result
of the help from our Sinhala Chieftains.
Kandy had a natural protection such as rocks and mountains, dense forest cover,
marshy lands, heavy rain, no proper road access, and finally the Mahaveli River
which is the longest and largest river in Sri Lanka looping round the city.
Even the British were not able to capture the city unless they got the help from inside.
Kandy is a world heritage city declared by UNESCO in 1988.
The Buddhist influence could be seen everywhere.
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The most important monument is the Tooth Relic Temple where the Buddha’s canine
tooth (lower left) is housed.
The temple was originally built in two storeys by King Wimaladharmasooriya I
(1592-1603 AD),
The remains of which are no longer existent due to invasions.
Wimaladharmasooriya II (1687-1707 AD) then erected a new three storeyed building.
These two buildings were destroyed by the Portuguese first and The Dutch later.
In the invasions, the kings who ruled at that time fled away to hill country with the
Tooth Relic.
Finally a two storeyed building was built by the last Sinhala king Narendrasinghe
(1707-1739 AD).
A Dutch map prepared in 1765 marked this as the new temple.
This also faced destructions due to Dutch invasions but later King Keerithi Sri
Rajasinghe (1747-1781 AD) refurbished it.
The octagon with the moat in front was added by last the King of Kandy, Sri Wickrema
Rajasinghe (1798-1815 AD) for the embellishment of the Temple.
The architect of this building was ‘Devendra Moolachari’ who came from South India.
Today this is an Oriental library which exhibits ancient books including ‘Ola Leaf’
collection.
Along the moat runs a brick wall known as ‘Walakulu Bemma’ or cloud drift wall
and another wall named Diyareli Bemma or wave swell (ripple of waves) wall.
The main gate known as ‘Maha Vahalkada’ built on a bridge over the moat.
The door steps are decorated with a moonstone in the Kandyan style.
Then we enter the Makara Thorana or Dragon arch passes through Ambarawa or tunnel
and reach the Hevisi Mandapaya or Drummers’ courtyard.
In front, one can see the two-storeyed main temple, built by the King Narendrasinghe.
The lower chamber is called ‘Palle Male’ and the upper chamber, where the Tooth Relic
is placed is known as Uda Male or Vedahitina maligawa.
To the right of the Octagon is a shrine room called Palle Male image house in which a
precious crystal Buddha image is housed
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As you enter through the main door you can see the Maha aramudala or great
treasure room where various gifts offered to the shrine by ancient Kings and
dignitaries are housed.
There are three rooms in the upper floor.
First and second are known as Handun Koonama or sandalwood shed which denotes
to a Gandhakuti or a perfumed chamber.
It is in this room that the exposition of the Tooth Relic from time to time takes place.
The third room is the Vedahitina Maligaya, inner sanctum where the Tooth Relic is
placed.
There are seven golden caskets enclosing the Sacred Tooth Relic, each casket studded
with gems.
The outermost casket is adorned with jewelry offered to the relic by pious kings and
other dignitaries.
On the right side of the Tooth Relic casket is the Perahera Karanduwa or the casket
taken in the Kandy Esala Perehera.
Also there was the relic casket presented by the Government of India along with the
Buddha relics from Dharmarajika Stupa in Thaxila, which is now kept in the
Great Treasure Room.
Daily rituals are performed by the monks of the Malwattha and Asgiriya Maha
Viharas, taking their turn each year.
The daily services are marked by the beating of drums from the drummers’ courtyard
below.
The narrow passage on the right side of the second room is the Kavikara Maduwa or
the stage whence songs are sung in reverence of the Relic.
Their poems are known as Kolmura Kavi.
Homage and religious proceedings to the Sacred Tooth Relic
Repetition of homage and religious customary proceedings is connected with a view
to achieve aims and to maintain their continuity.
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The Temple of Tooth Relic, the place of religious worship of Buddhists, which is held
in high esteem too, has been inundated with religious customary proceedings.
Thevava is a ritual conduct performed daily in the morning, mid-day and in the
evening.
It is similar to Buddha Pooja or offerings to the Buddha, usually conducted in a
Buddhist image house.
Mahanayaka Thero (Chief incumbents of Malwatte or Asgiriya temples) is the trustee
of the thevava and other related activities and responsibilities, but he appointed
another five monks who are considered to be symbolically attending the needs
of the Buddha.
A limited staff, i.e. monks and laymen are allowed to take part in the Thevava unlike
in a normal Buddha Pooja.
A number of equipment and tools of great historical and religious value are used for
the thevava.
Some are made out of gold and some are of sterling silver.
At the particular time two monks and three servicemen enter the shrine carrying with
them the triple robe, flame, cowries, bell, sandalwood casket, flower basket,
towel, beetle tray, spittoon and water vessel etc.
These offerings symbolize the attending to the needs of the Buddha.
A pingo (Hemakadha) is usually used to carry the Buddha Pooja or food offerings from
the kitchen (Muluthange) to the Relic chamber.
During the Kandiyan period the king himself carried the Hemakadha in respect of the
Buddha.
The keys to the main door are brought by Vattorurala (a lay officer) and the chief
service monk opens the door.
The Buddha Pooja is offered by the service monks.
The Pooja is first offered in the name of the king and the royal palace and then
followed by the Pooja made by the public.
The food offered to the Tooth Relic is emptied into special bowls, made out of gold
and silver.
Different grades of officers take part in this theveva.
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The bells begin to ring announcing the completion of service when the food is emptied
into large bowls and carried away.
The chamber and the flower altar are cleaned and prepared to receive the offerings made
by the devotees.
Throughout the service the drummers at the lower hall continue their drumming to denote
the service is going on and in the same time to drown the alien noises.
1. Services of homage are conducted daily at dawn, at noon called Nava Peya Pooja
and at dusk ‘Gilanpasa’ Pooja. (Gilanpasa means herbal drinks)
During this period offerings of flowers, food, purified water, oil and lighted lamps,
are made.
2. Special services are conducted on Wednesdays, called Sapthahika Pooja.
The identical Pooja is also conducted on the four Poya days of the month.
The event symbolizes bathing process of the Tooth Relic, which termed as the Nanumura
Mangalle.
The Alatthi Barande on the upper floor is reserved for Alatthi Ammas or women offering
light during the Nanumura Mangalle.
3. On the day of the full moon a very special offering is made to the sacred Tooth Relic,
as every full moon day is very significant day to the Buddhists.
Continuous beating of drums is carried out in the lower-storey of the temple.
To organize a Muluthan Pooja to the Sacred Tooth Relic, one has to supply 44 items
including rice, vegetable, condiments, fruit and various other things.
For the evening Gilanpasa Pooja contains 14 items except flower and oil.
4. There are four annual festivals conducted to felicitate the Sacred Tooth Relic.
I. This festival is to offer new rice to the temple, after harvest, in the month of January
known as Aluth Sahal Mangallaya or new rice ceremony.
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II. Festive customs connected with the Sinhalese New Year in the month of April, every
year.
III.The Esala festival in July/August is to invoke the blessings of the gods for rain in
time.
A great pageant parades along the streets in Kandy town at night with caparisoned
elephants, Tom-tom beaters with traditional costumes, Kandyan dancers and
other traditional dancers and many other fascinating and thought-provoking items.
The casket, which carries bodily relics of the Buddha, is mounted on a specially
caparisoned Tusker, which is paraded in the pageant and it has become a
Tourist attraction where people from all parts of the world come to have a
glimpse of this event.
The ceremony that reaches a peak with this pageant is concluded with the water
cutting ceremony at the Mahaweli River.
IV. Karthika festival is conducted in the month of November.
It’s lighting lamps for gods.
The aim all these festivals are summarized thus:
‘Devo wassathu kalena ‘let there be rain in time
Sassa sampatthi hethucha let there be abundance in crops
Peetho bhawathu lokocha let all beings be happy, and
Raja Bhawathu dhammiko’ let the ruler be of virtuous disposition’
The route of Tooth Relic from Anuradhapura to Kandy throughout the history:
Anuradhaapura 312 AD to 1017 AD
Temples of Tooth Relics in Polonnaruwa till 1215 AD
Kothmale 1215-1232
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Beligala 1232-1236
Dambadeniya 1236-1271
Yapahuwa 1271-1284
Polonnaruwa (2nd time) 1287-1293
Kurunegala 1293-1325
Gampola 1372-1408
Kotte 1410-1475
Delgamuwa Temple ----- ------
Kandy Tooth Relic Temple since 1593- to date
Kandy Esala Pagent
Kandy Esala Perahera is held annually in July/August on days fixed according to
auspicious times calculated by the temple astrologers.
Diyawadana Nilame, the chief lay officer of the Tooth Relic Temple is responsible for
this.
Mahawamsa says the Tooth Relic was brought in the reign of King Kithsiri Mewan
in the year 309 AD.
It was placed in an urn of pure crystal and brought it to the Dhammachakka mandiraya.
(this abode was built by King Devanampiyatissa on the Royal territory in 3rd century BC)
King Kithsiri Mewan spent 900,000 Kahapanas (Currency of ancient period) and
arranged a great festival for the Tooth Relic.
He ordered that this festival should be brought every year to the Abhayuttara Vihara
(Abhayagiri).
Sacred Tooth Relic was taken round the city once a year in the month of March and
placed in Abhyagiri Vihara for ninety days.
This was a ritual invoke blessing the gods for rainfall in time.
Fa-hsien (5th century) confirms that this decree was faithfully carried out by the later
kings, too.
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Fa-hsien says all monks and lay devotees who wish to pay respect to the Relic and gain
of merit prepare and smooth the roads;
Adorn the highways and scatter every kind of flower and offer incense in reverence to
the Relic.
Characters of Buddha’s previous birth are painted in vivid colors to depict life-like
appearance.
As they proceed on the way, religious offerings are made to it.
When arrived at the Abhayagiri Vihara they placed it in the ‘Hall of the Buddha’.
All devotees pay homage to the Tooth Relic day and night, without ceasing.
After ninety days The Tooth Relic again returns to the Damma Chakka Mandira in
the inner citadel.
Likewise Fa-hsien describes how the olden days they performed the Esala perahera in
Anuradhapura.
Only four Devala pageants were held in Kandy during Kandyan period.
The Esala Tooth Relic pageant with the four Dewale pageants was introduced in 1775
under the guidance of Welivita Sangaraja Thera during the reign of King Keerthi
Sri Rajasinghe.
Today the lay custodian of Tooth Relic is the Diyawadana Nilame.
The process of the Esala present pageant
Following the new moon in July a Jak tree (Artocarpus hetrophyllus) or Rukkattana
tree (Alstoniais scholaris) cut and ‘Kap’ is planted in each Dewale.
‘Kap’ planting denotes the vow that the pageant will be held accordingly.
Five nights processions are conducted within the dewale premises with drums, flags
and torches.
‘Kapurala’ (the lay priest of the Devale) walks in theses processions carrying the
golden weapon called ‘Ran Ayudhaya’.
This belongs to the Deity of temple which used by him in battle with demons.
These processions are held in all Natha,Vishnu, Kataragama and Pattini Devalas
On the 6th night starts the ‘Kumbal’ Perahera.
It’s named by that as the ‘Kap’ is placed in a clay structure resembling an ant-hill
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the pageant which goes round this.
In this 6th night pageant is seen for the first time outside the Devalas and is joined
by Maligawa Perahera.
The chiefs of the temple wear their traditional Kandyan court dress to participate the
procession.
Each night the number of elephants are increased making pageant grander and colourful.
After five Kumbal peraheras the Randoli perahera is held, Randoli means Queens
golden Palanquin.
In 1775 the King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe ordered that the palanquins should be
put at the end of perahera, because females not allowed to travel alongside the
sacred items according to the Hindu tradition.
(But we mustn’t forget that the tooth relic was brought hiding inside the hair of a
female, princess Hememala).
Palanquins may be a symbol of the presence of the consorts of deities.
(King’s palanquin is ‘Koonama’ Queens’s ‘Randoli’, monks ‘Pallakkiya’, chieftains
Dolawa and for the harem Yakada doli)
In the ancient period the king himself walked in the Randoli Perahera with his retinue.
They are two Adhigars, the Dissawas and leaders of the court.
All of them followed the last Dewale Perahera as they couldn’t precede over the
Tooth Relic or Gods.
In the olden days Buddhist monks also took part in the perahera.
And arrangements were done by the Sangkkara Lekama who made liaison
between the king and monks.
Randoli Perahera goes round the city for five nights and the final day is the grandest.
The last day perahera joined by devala pageants and proceed to Adhahanamaluwa
Vihara (crematory compound in Asgiri temple).
The perahera casket temporarily placed there and guarded by the Basnayake Nilames,
connected to dewalas.
King Keerithi Sri Rajasinghe ordered this as a mark of respect to the Queen mother who
was cremated there.
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Dewala pageants are returned to their respective devalas and goes out again in the early
morning for water cutting.
Earlier this was done to commemorate a victory in battle gods who defeated demons
(asuras).
This symbolizes the blood stained swords were being cleaned.
The battle was between god Kataragama and demons.
Today the kapuralas of the four devalas fill goblets of river water purified after cutting
the surface of water by the sword of the god.
Goblets are kept in the devales till the next year water cutting ceremony.
Then Devale peraheras return to the Ganadevi Kovila (abode of God Ganesh) where
certain ceremonies are performed.
The whole festival comes to the end when the following afternoon the maligawa pageant
returnsto the Tooth relic temple from the Adhahanamaluwa Vihara bringing back
the golden casket.
Dewale pageants also joined to the procession.
Later the pageants break up and each devala procession goes back into its Devala.
Finally the chiefs were received by the king to whom they pay obeisance and
reported the success of the perahera and it had been held with due ceremonial.
The whole festival includes 17 major and minor processions.
At the conclusion of the Perahera, the ‘Perahera Sandesaya’ (a message announcing the
end of the festival of Esala Perahera) will be submitted to the President of the
country by the Diyawadana Nilame associated with the participants.
With a view to blessing all the participants of the festival destroying any possible effect
of evilness, a ritualistic dance, ‘Walliyak Mangallaya’ is performed in the God
Vishnu Temple in Kandy
Composition of the Tooth Relic Pageant
First of all the roads which the pageant passes have been washed.
Then the whip crackers come to lead the way.
It is to announce the approach of perahera and clear the way from the crowd.
Fire ball dancing and fire displays come next.
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The flag bearers walk next in single file on either side of the road.
The flags they carry are the standards of the different provinces and the temples.
Peramune rala (person who leads) comes next on an elephant back and he carries Lekam
mitiya or the king’s permission.
Fa hsien also refers to an official who proclaimed the perahera.
Next come a group of drummers and horanewa or a kind of flutes giving vividness to the
perahera.
Gajanayaka nilame comes next, he rides an elephant and carries a silver goad (elephant
hook).
It symbolizes his authority as the head of the king’s elephants’ stables.
Kariyakorale walks next in the perahera.
He is next to the Diyawadana nilame and responsible for ceremonies in the Tooth Relic
Temple.
Diyawadana nilame places the casket reverently in the ranhilige, the howdah.
Then the caparisoned maligawa tusker comes carrying the perahera casket containing
the sacred relics.
Pavada or white cloth is spread on the way of the tusker as a mark of respect for it to
walk on.
He will be surrounded by the Kandyan drummers and traditional Kandyan dancers.
All spectators, Buddhists and non-Buddhists pay respect at this time by standing.
Tusker is followed by two lines of dancers facing each other on either side of road.
Diyawadana nilame joins the perahera with his magnificent ceremonial costume.
He is attended by lance bearers, sun shade bearers and umbrella bearers and minor
temple headmen.
Natha Devala Perahera comes next
The howdah on the tusker’s back contains the apparel and insignia of God Natha.
God Natha is not a Hindu deity but a native.
The Natha devale is given prominent place as god Natha is the future Buddha,
Maithrie for this auspicious aeon.
According to Mahayana Buddhism, out of five Buddhas for this auspicious aeon,
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and the final one is Maithrie Buddha.
The other four Buddhas had already served their terms and they are Kakusanda,
Konagama, Kashyapa and Gauthama Buddhas.
Natha Devale is the oldest temple in Kandy.
The Basnayake nilame of the devale walks in the perahera with his retinue of dancers.
He is accompanied by the Basnayake nilames of Dodanwela, Vegiriya and Pasgama,
the ‘Pitisara’ devales
Vishnu Dewale perahera comes next
The Basnayake Nilame of this Devale walks in the procession with his retinue of
dancers and attendants.
He is accompanied the Basnayake Nilames of Lankatilleke, Gadaladeniya,
Alawathugoda, Hanguranketha, Morape and Mediri Devalas.
God Vishnu is the protector of the island and Buddhism according to folk lore.
And, to the Hinduism God Vishnu is the sole protector of the Universe.
He is blue in colour and therefore the Pageant decorations are mostly blue in colour.
His vehicle is the mythical bird Gurula.
Kataragama Devale Perahera follows next
A local deity named Kataragama renamed as Muruga or Skanda, the younger son of
God Siva in Hinduism after the South Indian influence.
As all Hindu gods have animal vehicles he uses a peacock as his vehicle.
He is believed to be powerful God in war and always carrying the lance in one hand.
It is believed he has six faces and twelve hands with mighty power.
The Basnayake Nilame walks in the procession as usual.
He is accompanied by Nilames of the pitisara dewala of Embekke and Ganegoda.
Pattini Devale pageant comes last
This cult came to Sri Lanka during the king Gajaba in the second century AD.
It’s believed that barren women could get babies after making vows to this goddess.
In Sinhala Buddhists belief the Pattini is a guardian deity of Buddhism.
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She is the deification of Kannagi, who is the central character of the Tamil epic
Silapadhikaram by Ilango Adigal.
She is worshipped by both Buddhists and South Indian Hindus.
She is the patron goddess of fertility and health.
Pattini is goddess who is supposed to get relief from virus diseases.
i.e. chicken pox, measles and mumps which is referred to as deviyange ledé
('the divine affliction') in the Sinhalese language.
Current order of proceedings in Esala pagent in Kandy
Performance of whip
Dance of fire balls
Buddhist flags
District flags (clothes & brass)
Sword bearers
Peramune Rala (a guiding person)
Hevisi (drum) performance
Gajanayake Nilame (OIC of elephants)
Players of Horanae (oriental flute)
Dance of Chamara (hand fans)
Dance of Lee Keli (wooden sticks)
Group of Pantheru (an instrument)
Talam players (cymbal players)
Havadi dangaya
Naiyadi Group
Sword parade
Dance of Pantheru
Players of hand timbrel or tambour (රබාන)
Dance of Talam
Dance of Pantheru
Dance of Weval (cane)
Dance of Udakki ( a small drum)
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Group of Naiyadi
Sword dance
Players of Tammattamm (twin drums)
Dance of tambourine & Dance of Pantheru
Dance of Paturu (sticks)
Dance of Udakki
Ves dance (traditional up country dance)
Kariya Karawana Korala (Chief of duties)
Nagasinghem
The tusker with Golden Relic casket and the two elephants at either side
Two Buddhist flags
Kavikara Maduwa
Carriers of flowers and oil lamps
Ves Dance
Diyawadana Nilame
Two guards and the pearl umbrella
Two Burma flags
Procession of the God Natha
Procession of the God Vishnu
Procession of the God Skadna (Kataragama)
Procession of the Goddess Pattini
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