All Press Releases for 23 June, 2009
Experience the Rich and Vibrant Pageantry of the Kandy Perahera with Sri Lanka In Style
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As the most prominent and spectacular of Sri Lanka’s many exciting festivals, the Kandy Esala Perahera is one of the island’s biggest annual celebrations.  The festival is a synthesis of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs and is dedicated to both Skanda and the Buddha. It is held to invoke the blessings of the gods for rain, fertility, successful crops and good health. Visitors on holiday in Sri Lanka will see that elephants feature heavily in the celebrations; this is because they are symbols of abundance and fertility - the "clouds who walk the Earth" – and are instrumental in attracting the vital rains for harvest time. “This is a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in Sri Lankan culture”, comments Miguel Cunat, CEO of Sri Lanka in Style, “Sri Lanka in Style clients on holiday in Sri Lanka receive the best street-side tickets available in order to gain an advantageous perspective of this exhilarating event”. “This is a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in Sri Lankan culture” The origins of the Esala Perahera date back to the fourth century AD, during the reign of Kirti Siri Meghawanna, who decreed that the special relic – the Buddha’s tooth – be carried in procession through the city once a year. This quickly developed into a major religious event that gained worldwide appeal although it was not until 1775 under the reign of Kirti Sri Rajasinha that the modern festival took shape. The tooth relic has not actually been carried in procession since 1848; instead a replica casket is paraded, since it is considered unpropitious for the holy molar to leave the temple sanctuary. Two other important associations with the Kandy perahera are the Kap Tree Planting Ceremony and the water-cutting ceremony that take place before and after the festival respectively. Before the festival starts, cuttings from an esala tree are traditionally planted in the four devales representing a vow that the festival will be held. Following the last perahera, a priest wades out into the Mahaweli River and ‘cuts’ the waters with a sword, which symbolically releases a supply of water for the coming year. Clients on holiday in Sri Lanka can enjoy these two little-known elements of the festival with Sri Lanka in Style. Sri Lanka in Style’s partner hotels in Kandy offer excellent opportunities for experiencing the intensity of the festival, whilst also being able to retire from it in peace and quiet when necessary. Make your holiday in Sri Lanka complete with a stay in the gorgeous colonial-styled Kandy House just north of town, the beautiful Ellerton bungalow, which is a half-hour drive away from the action or Clingandael, on the spectacular Victoria Golf Course. Sri Lanka in Style offers its clients the most stylish Sri Lanka hotels and villas from which to enjoy the beautiful Kandyan region and its exciting esala perahera whilst on holiday in Sri Lanka. For further information, refer to www.srilankainstyle.com About Sri Lanka In Style Sri Lanka In Style is a Sri Lankan based travel design company that specializes in offering travel consultation and services for clients visiting Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka In Style hand-selects Boutique Hotels and Villas in Sri Lanka and offers a full portfolio of concierge style services including chauffeured cars, expert guides and a wealth of local travel advice all designed to ensure that guests can sit back and derive maximum satisfaction from their time whilst in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka In Style provides interesting alternatives and “out of the box” ideas which provide a conversational currency long after the holiday itself has finished. ### Bookmark - Del.icio.us | Digg | Furl It | Spurl | RawSugar | Simpy | Shadows | Blink It | My Web Other Releases by this Member
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