Our most recent visit to Kandy coincided with the 5th night (of 10) of the city's famous PeraHera Festival. It was an amazing thing to see. The procession of fire dancers, whip-crackers, flag bearers, drummers and elephants seemed almost endless. We found a great viewing spot near the Temple of the Tooth to take in the spectacle. Click here for photos.
One of the elephants was being boarded in someone's front yard, just a few doors down from Anna Shantha Villas, where we were staying, so we got to see him throughout the day - during his bath time, dinner and costuming.
People have a lot of mixed feelings over the impact of Pera Hera on the elephants - the use of chains, the stress they experience from the noise and commotion, etc. We most definitely thought about all that while watching the parade, though we witnessed good care and attention by the elephant handlers. The crowd was reverent, the chaos was well organized, and the parade was most definitely a highlight of our time in Sri Lanka.
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