President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said discussions about discontinuing the Perahera should never again arise on the country’s political stage, speaking as he received the scroll certifying the successful conclusion of this year’s Kandy Esala Maha Perahera.
It is by no means fair for anyone to exploit the historical heritage linking the monarchy, the Sacred Tooth Relic and the country’s culture in order to satisfy political agendas or personal rivalries, the President said, according to Ada Derana.
The scroll
The Perahera Sandeshaya certifies that the annual procession of the Sri Dalada Maligawa and the four Maha Devalayas was conducted and concluded in accordance with ancient tradition. It was presented on Friday afternoon at President’s House in Kandy by Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela, who arrived in procession with the Nilames of the four Maha Devalayas and the Pitisara Devalayas.
The President presented awards and gifts to artists who took part in the Perahera, and handed over financial assistance to the Pitisara Devalayas through the Esala Perahera Trust. He was also given the first copy of Poojaneya Dalada Sanskruthiya, a book on the culture of the Sacred Tooth Relic compiled by the Central Province Department of Cultural Affairs.
He thanked the Chief Prelates of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters and the Maha Sangha for their guidance, along with the Diyawadana Nilame, the Nilames, state officials and artists.
The debate he was referring to
Ada Derana did not say what discussions the President had in mind, but the Perahera season has run alongside a public argument over the use of captive elephants in religious processions.
Deputy Minister of Environment Anton Jayakody told Parliament on 21 August that the government had taken no decision to restrict elephants at the Dalada Perahera or other religious events, addressing what he called speculation that had followed this year’s season. A Gazette notification setting out how captive elephants may be provided for such events was then in its final drafting stages, prepared alongside an expert panel and a special ministry committee reviewing draft registration and licensing regulations.
A wider argument about values
Dissanayake argued that Peraheras led by the Dalada Perahera are central to building the society the country aspires to, and called for a cultural revival backed by state patronage. In a society where wealth and power have become the primary measures of value, he said, a new definition is needed that places human bonds, cultural heritage and empathy at the centre.
He also said a decisive fight against the drug menace was necessary to protect the country’s cultural heritage — remarks made a day after a public health expert told a police anti-narcotics briefing that substance use kills 80 to 100 people a day in Sri Lanka.
The procession concluded on Thursday with the water-cutting ceremony. Ada Derana was the only verified newsroom to have reported the scroll presentation at the time of writing.
