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Sri Lanka: Imaginative 19th century British engraving of a 'coolie opera'

Sri Lanka, being a multicultural society, celebrates a wide variety of festivals, ceremonies and events. Every year on or about April 13th Sinhala and Tamil people celebrate Sinhala and Tamil New Year Festival, and Muslims celebrate Ramadan.

Esala Perahera is the grand festival of Esala held in Sri Lanka. It is a very grand affair with elegant costumes. Happening in July or August in Kandy, it has become a unique symbol of Sri Lanka. It is a Buddhist festival consisting of dances and richly-decorated elephants. There are fire dances, whip dances, Kandian dances and various other cultural dances. The elephants are usually adorned with lavish garments. Exactly which festival this 19th century engraving is meant to represent is not clear, but the representation is very fanciful.