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Sri Lanka: Buddhist procession going to bring new rice to the Temple of the Tooth, Kandy, 1903

Esala Perahera (the Festival of the Tooth) is the grand festival of Esala held in Kandy in Sril Lanka every July or August. Known for its elegant costumes, it has become a unique symbol of Sri Lanka. It is a Buddhist festival consisting of dances and nicely decorated elephants. There are fire dances, whip dances, Kandian dances and various other cultural dances. Elephants are usually adorned with lavish garments.

The Esala Perahera in Kandy is believed to be a fusion of two separate but interconnected 'Peraheras' (Processions) – The Esala and Dalada. The Esala Perahera which is thought to date back to the 3rd century BCE, was a ritual enacted to request the gods for rainfall. The Dalada Perahera is believed to have begun when the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha was brought to Sri Lanka from India during the 4th Century CE.

The Modern Perahera dates back to the reign of the Kandyan King Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe (1747 – 1781 CE). During these times, the Tooth Relic was considered private property of the King and the public never got a chance to worship it. However, King Rajasinghe decreed that the Relic be taken in procession for the masses to see and venerate.