Kandy perahera
Due to changed star configurations, after many years of conducting the Esala Perahera in the months of June or July, this year's procession will revert to its namesake month of Esala (or August). Four hundred and ten years have passed since the Dalada or the Sacred Tooth Relic came to occupy the present Dalada Maligawa. Prince Danta and Princess Hemamala brought it to Sri Lanka during the Anuradhapura Era from when it became imperative that the King of the Land must be the guardian of the "Dalada".
The tooth relic was brought to Sri Lanka in 371 A.D. from India. In India there was a king called Buhasiva. He has instructed his son in law Dhantha supposing if he lost in the battle to take the tooth relic to Sri Lanka where his friend was living. He handed over this tooth relic to his son in law Dhantha. The king lost the battle and his daughter princes Hemamali and son in law Dhantha brought the tooth relic to Sri Lanka, and it was hidden in her knot of hair for safety. When they reached Sri Lanka King Buhasiva’s friendly king Mahasen had died. So they handed the sacred tooth relic to king Megavan who was ruling in Anuradhapura.
The sacred tooth relic was then handed over to the buddhist monk’s of Abayagiriya for safe keeping and also as an object of worship for Buddha.. Traditionally thereafter the sacred tooth relic was regarded as a royal treasure and symbol of kingship and was enshrined in the private shrine room of the temple in the royal palace complex of the Capital and protected by the king himself.
When the capital was shifted from Anuradhapura to Polonnaruwa the tooth relic was taken to Polonnaruwa by king Vijayabahu 1 and he constructed “Atadage”and enshrined it. Aftertsome time Queen Sugala has taken the tooth to Amsterdam bay.There was a fortress and it was hidden there. After a long battle king Parakramabahu the 1st brought the tooth relic again to Polonnaruwa. And king Nissankamalla constructed the tooth relic temple called "Hatadage" and enshrined it. After that it was brought to Dambadeniya,Yapahuwa, Kurunegala, from Kurunegala they brought to Kotte. During the period of King Mayadunna it was taken to Seethawaka.During the period of Rajasinghe 1, portugues power spread in the costal area and it was taken to Delgamuwa Viharaya, which is situated at Kuruwita in the Rathnapura district, and it was taken to Kandy in 1593 and kept by king Wimaladharmasuriya. In 1753 the Kandy Perahera started to honour the tooth relic, and it was taken around the Kandy town.
