KANDY ESALA PERAHERA (Procession)If you want to see this spectacular procession, which started during the 3rd century CE and continued to this day, you should visit Sri Lanka during the month of July. This annual festival is a combination of the Dalada perahera and the Esala perahera. The Dalada procession is believed to have started when the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha was brought to Sri Lanka during the 4th century CE, 800 years after the death of the Buddha. This two-fold aspect of the annual festival has many traditional dances, fire-dancers; whip dancers and a cultural mix of traditional dancers depicting the flag bearers of each region of Sri Lanka. Among all the ceremonial pomp and splendour of the perahera are the very noticeable, spectacularly adorned elephants walking gracefully with the crowd of whip crackers, flame throwers, traditional dancers, drummers and men carrying fire torches to light up the streets. This annual event has maintained its original theme, which to this day has not had much of a variation to its form.  Kandy Perahera 1885  Kandy Perahera 2018 The original esala perahera was an invocation to the guardian gods for rainfall needed for the cultivation of crops and enrichment of the lands of the kingdom. The temples dedicated to these guardian gods Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama and goddess Pattini are built in the sacred temple grounds of the tooth relic of the buddha. The presence of these temples in Kandy ascertains a strong fusion of Hindu beliefs entwined with Buddhism long before the arrival of the tooth relic of the Buddha.
Leisure world Tours conducts itineraries that cover the Kandy perahera each year. Make reservations to witness this event for July 2020 with reg@leisureworldtours.net. Plan your holiday in Sri Lanka
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Travel Trends in Europe Travel to Europe is increasing steadily at around 30%. This is a good sign and we hope it will continue to rise. Britain is in a sort of turmoil with Brexit and the election of Boris Johnson to the realm, But tourism is still trending and that is an encouraging sign that all is not doom and gloom. From a demographic view among travellers Gen Z tops the list with an increase of 55 % in Spain, followed by the Netherlands with a whopping 95% increase by millennials. Gen X travellers loved Switzerland and Germany while Greece showed a 40% increase by baby boomers. Overall spending has decreased due to the rising costs in Europe although Greece has seen a 50% increase in spending by baby boomers. Breaking news Sri Lanka. Hurray! the government of Sri Lanka has decided to issue free visas for travellers, starting from August 2019 - January 2020. This is a very encouraging step and one set in the right direction. Ever since the suicide bombings in April this year, revenue from tourism dropped to zilch.
The recent bombings has had a very serious toll on tourism in Sri Lanka. Many workers in the hospitality industry lost their jobs as a result of the bombings. We encourage travellers to return to Sri Lanka and support the industry. Leisure World Tours has this all inclusive 12 day Sri Lanka holiday for you or email reg@leisuretravelsrilanka.com |
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