Festivals

An incredible spectacle happens every year during the end of August and start of September when around 300 elephant all converge on the banks of the Minneriya Lake, in the north of Sri Lanka. The phenomenon, known as ‘the Gathering’ is one of the highest concentrations of these Asian Elephants to be found anywhere in the world.

One of Sri Lanka’s most spectacular and colorful festivals is Esala Perahera, a 10-day event in the central city of Kandy. Held to commemorate an ancient Buddhist tooth relic, this festival features processions through the streets, dancing, and music. It all ends with a peculiar ‘water cutting’ session (with swords) in the river.

Vel Festival sees the ceremonial chariot of the God of War, Skanda, pulled between two of Colombo’s major Hindu temples. Over two to three days, body painting and colorful outfits can be seen alongside painful displays of religious devotion, where participants dangle themselves by piercing their skin on their backs with metal hooks.

This important Hindu festival takes place in the pretty pilgrimage town of Kataragama in the south of the island. On the day/night of the full moon in July (somtimes in August), devotees subject themselves to various ritual torture techniques in a bid to appease their deities. It’s not for the faint-hearted, but certainly an unforgettable spectacle.