The final Randoli Perahera of the 2026 Kandy Esala Perahera left the Sri Dalada Maligawa on Thursday evening at the auspicious time of 6.43 p.m., closing the festival’s night processions.
The honour of carrying the Sacred Relic Casket went to the tusker Wasana, Ada Derana reported, which named the animal as ‘Kataragama Wasana’. Hiru News said the tuskers Sinha Raja and Pulathisi Raja walked alongside as flanking tuskers.
The tusker who carried the casket
Wasana was found lost in a forest area in the Anuradhapura District and taken to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Hiru News reported. In 1978 the animal was offered to the Ruhunu Maha Katharagama Devalaya by the then Minister Wimala Kannangara, and has remained in that shrine’s custody since. The tusker is now 55 years old.
The deployment of captive elephants in the season’s processions has been a live question this year. A Gazette notification setting out how they may be provided for the Perahera and similar events was reported to be in its final drafting stages on August 21, with Deputy Minister Anton Jayakody telling Parliament that no restrictions had been imposed.
Accounts differ on the route
Ada Derana reported the procession covering 2.15 kilometres along five streets — Dalada Veediya, Yatinuwara Veediya, Kande Veediya, D.S. Senanayake Veediya and Raja Veediya — before returning to the temple, matching the traffic plan police issued on Wednesday. Hiru News listed the same streets but added Lake Road at the head of the route, and gave no distance.
Hiru reported that large crowds had been arriving in Kandy since Thursday morning, and that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake was scheduled to attend. The President spent the afternoon in the city, calling on the Mahanayake Theros of the Malwathu and Asgiriya Chapters and paying homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic.
How the festival closes
The Esala festival ends on Friday with the traditional water-cutting ceremony at the Getambe ferry in the morning, followed by the day procession. Hiru reported that the Chief Custodian, together with the Nilames of the Four Maha Devalayas, will then hand the President a memorandum recording the successful completion of the pageant, at a ceremony at the President’s House in Kandy on Friday afternoon.
The pageant opened with the first Kumbal Perahera on August 18.
