Kandy Esala Perahera
Kandy's ten-night procession of the Sacred Tooth Relic, planned around the Nikini full moon: how the Kumbal and Randoli nights differ, why the date moves, and where to sleep.
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Kandy Esala Perahera in short
The Kandy Esala Perahera runs ten evening processions, ending with the Grand Randoli on the night of the Nikini full moon, then a day procession. Nikini Poya is Monday 16 August 2027, so the street processions are expected from about 7 to 17 August; the Temple of the Tooth announces the dates itself, so these are estimates. In 2025 and 2026 the schedule fitted that pattern. Street viewing is free, and hotels and tour operators sell reserved seats.
What happens when
- About 2 Aug (expected)
- Kap planting at the four devales, then five days of processions inside the temples, before the street processions begin. In 2025 the festival opened on 25 July and the first street procession came on 30 July.
- Sat 7 Aug (expected)
- First Kumbal Perahera, the first of five Kumbal nights.
- About 12 to 15 Aug
- Four Randoli Peraheras, each bigger than the Kumbal nights.
- Mon 16 Aug (expected)
- The Grand Randoli Perahera on Nikini Poya, the final and grandest night.
- Tue 17 Aug (expected)
- The Dahawal day procession, after the water-cutting ceremony. In 2026 it started at 2:18pm.
Which nights to go
- The finale
Grand Randoli Perahera
The final and grandest night, with tuskers in garlands and gold-stitched costumes and drummers in full ceremonial dress.
Mon 16 Aug (expected)
- A calmer start
Kumbal nights
The first five processions are called semi-processions because the Nilames do not walk in them, and the tuskers and drummers are not in full costume.
From about 7 Aug
- Daylight
The day procession
The only daytime procession, after the water-cutting ceremony at the Mahaweli river.
The day after the Grand Randoli
The Kandy Esala Perahera guide
The date
The Kandy Esala Perahera is a procession of the Sacred Tooth Relic, run by the Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Tooth. The temple announces the dates each year. What the last two years show is that the final night falls on the Nikini full moon Poya. In 2025 the Grand Randoli was on 8 August, the Nikini Poya, and the day procession followed on 9 August. In 2026 the Nikini Poya was 27 August, the Grand Randoli was that evening and the day procession was on the 28th.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka lists the 2027 Nikini Poya as Monday 16 August. Counting back ten evening processions gives a first Kumbal night around Saturday 7 August and a day procession on Tuesday 17 August. That is an estimate from the pattern, so treat it as one until the temple confirms. The July Esala Poya, on 18 July 2027, is not the festival's end.
The ten nights
The festival opens with Kap planting: a sanctified young jackfruit tree is planted at each of four devales, dedicated to the gods Natha, Vishnu and Katharagama and the goddess Pattini. Five days of processions inside the temple precincts follow, and in 2025 the first street procession came five days after the opening.
Then come the street processions. In 2026 the schedule was five Kumbal Peraheras on 18 to 22 August, four Randoli Peraheras on 23 to 26 August, the Grand Randoli on 27 August and the Dahawal day procession on 28 August. Evening start times ran from 6:28pm to 7:00pm.
Kumbal nights
The Kumbal Perahera is the first procession of the Relic. The festival's own site says it is traditionally shown to infants to drive away evil spells, and that it is called a semi-procession because the Nilames, the temple officials, do not walk in it. Drummers and tuskers take part without ceremonial costumes. It is the quieter way into the festival.
Randoli nights
The Randoli Peraheras add the palanquins of the four devales, with a palanquin for the queen as the last item. The Maha Randoli, the Grand Randoli, is the final and grandest procession: tuskers in garlands and gold-stitched costumes, drummers in full ceremonial dress, and a newly stitched costume for the Diyawadana Nilame, the lay custodian of the relic. Wikipedia says it has drawn hundreds of thousands of spectators.
The Sacred Casket, a replica of the Tooth Relic, rides in a ransivige on the Maligawa Tusker, which leads the main procession. Fire dancers, whip dancers and Kandyan drummers and dancers appear throughout, and female dancers appear only in the Pattini procession.
The day procession
The Dahawal Perahera is the only daytime procession. It follows the Diya Kepeema, the water-cutting ceremony at the Mahaweli river in Getambe. In 2026 it started at 2:18pm.
Watching
Processions from the Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama and Pattini devales converge at the Temple of the Tooth, according to Wikipedia. Street viewing along the route is free, and the crowds are large. Hotels and tour operators sell reserved seats along the route. If you buy one, confirm which nights it covers, because sellers list different night ranges.
The route map for each year is on kandyesalaperahera.com, and the processions are streamed on perahera.live.
Where to sleep
The processions converge at the Temple of the Tooth beside Kandy Lake, so a room by the lake puts you at the route. The hills above the lake are quieter, with a ride down to the route. Trains from Colombo Fort take about 2.5 to 3 hours. For the rest of the city see Kandy, and for the scenic train onward, Kandy to Ella by train.
- In the centre of Kandy Esala Perahera
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Tours and tickets
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Right now in Kandy
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
21
- Feels like
- 24°
- Humidity
- 93%
- Wind
- 4 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 100%
Kandy
01:36 AM
Tuesday, November 3
- Today29°21°100%Tuesday: Thunderstorms. High 29°, Low 21°. Chance of rain 100%.
- Wed29°21°100%Wednesday: Thunderstorms. High 29°, Low 21°. Chance of rain 100%.
- Thu29°20°100%Thursday: Rain. High 29°, Low 20°. Chance of rain 100%.
- Fri30°20°100%Friday: Rain. High 30°, Low 20°. Chance of rain 100%.
- Sat30°20°100%Saturday: Drizzle. High 30°, Low 20°. Chance of rain 100%.
- Sun30°21°100%Sunday: Drizzle. High 30°, Low 21°. Chance of rain 100%.
Updated 10:47 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Kandy Esala Perahera FAQ
When is the Kandy Esala Perahera in 2027?
Expected from about 7 to 17 August 2027. The Grand Randoli falls on the Nikini full moon Poya, which the Central Bank of Sri Lanka lists as Monday 16 August 2027. In 2025 the final Randoli was on 8 August, the Nikini Poya, and in 2026 on 27 August. The Sri Dalada Maligawa announces the dates itself.
How many nights are there?
In 2026 there were ten evening processions: five Kumbal nights and five Randoli nights, the last being the Grand Randoli, followed by a day procession. Kap planting and five days of processions inside the temples come first.
Which night is best?
The Grand Randoli on Nikini Poya is the grandest: the temple's own site calls it the final and grandest procession. Earlier Kumbal nights are semi-processions, shorter in costume and ceremony.
Is it free to watch?
Street viewing is free. Reserved seats along the route are sold by hotels and tour operators.
Are elephants part of it?
Yes. The Sacred Casket, a replica of the Tooth Relic, rides in a ransivige on the Maligawa Tusker, which leads the main procession. Fire dancers, whip dancers and Kandyan drummers and dancers also take part.
What do I need to enter Sri Lanka?
Most visitors need an ETA before landing. Apply on the official site only; the details are in our Sri Lanka ETA guide.