President Anura Kumara Dissanayake joined thousands of devotees on Wednesday night (July 29) for the final grand procession of the 2026 Esala Perahera at the Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Devalaya, describing the annual pageant as a symbol of Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage and national unity.
Earlier in the day the President visited the Kirivehera Rajamaha Viharaya, where he received blessings from the Chief Sanghanayaka of Ruhunu Magampattuwa and Chief Incumbent, Ven. Kobawaka Dhamminda Thero. He took part in religious observances, attended the ceremonial placement of the sacred relic casket on the ceremonial tusker and inaugurated the illumination of the temple premises, Ada Derana reported.
Addressing the gathering after the procession, Dissanayake said Sri Lanka must continue on its development path while preserving the historical and cultural foundations that define the country’s identity. He said the Ruhunu Kataragama Esala Perahera, one of the island’s foremost religious and cultural festivals, reflects the bond between the people, their heritage and the country.
The President said the festival’s uninterrupted observance over more than two millennia demonstrated the resilience of Sri Lanka’s civilisation, and pointed to the strong turnout of young people as evidence that future generations remain committed to preserving such traditions.
He framed the pageant as an expression of national unity, noting the participation of devotees from different religious and ethnic communities. Tamil pilgrims undertake the traditional week-long Pada Yatra to Kataragama, while Muslim and Sinhalese devotees observe their own religious practices during the festival, drawing people from across the country in what he described as an atmosphere of peace and coexistence.
Dissanayake thanked Ven. Kobawaka Dhamminda Thero for his leadership in preserving the traditions associated with the pageant and congratulated the newly appointed Basnayake Nilame, Thilina Madhusankha, along with the organisers of this year’s festival. He later presented the official declaration marking the conclusion of the 2026 Esala Perahera to the Chief Incumbent of the Kirivehera Rajamaha Viharaya.
Deputy Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development R.M. Jayawardena, Uva Province Governor Kapila Jayasekara, MP Ruwan Wijeweera, Monaragala District Secretary A.G. Nishantha and Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya were among those present.
The Kataragama procession is one of several pageants held during the Esala season, which this year also took in Esala Full Moon Poya on July 29 and the annual Esala perahera at Devinuwara in the south.
