Kandy Festival

This festival celebrates the Relic Tooth of Lord Buddha which is carried out in a procession for the people to worship and rejoice in its holy vibe.
It is widely well known for the grand show it puts up, with beautiful costumes, well choreographed dances, and decorated elephants.  Considered a symbol of Sri Lanka, the Kandy Festival is said to be a culmination to rituals dating back centuries.
One of the rituals was the Esala Perahera, performed to ask the Gods for rain and the other ritual was the Dalada Perahera which celebrates the Relic Tooth of Buddha coming to Sri Lanka. The entire festival originates back to the time of King Rajasinghe in the 18th century who decided to give the public a chance to worship the otherwise secretly kept Relic Tooth.
The processions start with a kappa, where a sacred jackfruit tree is cut and planted in the divine premises dedicated to guardian gods. This is expected to provide more blessings for the royal family and following that Peraheras takes place which includes priests from the premises of the four Devales taking the pole each evening. This is also accompanied by drumming, music, flag and canopy bearers donning sacred badges of the Gods, called Ran Ayudha.
There are many more rituals involved in this ceremony which lasts several days and it takes a great deal of organisation to get right the premiere Sri Lankan festival which has come to define an entire nation.
The high number of visitors, both Sri Lankan and foreign, has also contributed greatly to the current tourism and local industries around Kandy. Despite a peak time rise in travel fares and accommodation, the businesses stay in great demand because of the significance of Kandy Festival.