EXPLORE THE
SRI LANKA

Experience the vibrant Sinhala and Tamil New Year, Sri Lanka's most celebrated cultural festival. The dawn of April 13th marks the end of the old year with the setting sun, while April 14th welcomes new beginnings. Witness traditional games like 'kotta pora' (pillow fights), 'kana mutti bindeema' (pot breaking), and the iconic 'lissana gaha' (greased pole climbing). Families gather to light the hearth at auspicious times, prepare festive sweets like 'kavum' and 'kokis', and exchange gifts. The air fills with joy, laughter, and the aroma of traditional delicacies as communities come together in colorful celebrations.

Vesak, the most sacred Buddhist festival, commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and passing of Lord Buddha. Streets transform into magical corridors of light with thousands of colorful lanterns (vesak kudu) and magnificent illuminated pandals (thorana) depicting Buddhist stories. Temples overflow with devotees dressed in white, offering flowers and lighting oil lamps. Experience the spirit of giving at 'dansalas' - free food stalls offering everything from rice and curry to ice cream. The night sky glows with the soft light of paper lanterns, creating an atmosphere of peace, reflection, and spiritual awakening.

Witness one of Asia's oldest and grandest Buddhist festivals - the spectacular Kandy Esala Perahera. For ten magical nights, the hill capital transforms into a living museum of Sri Lankan culture. Over 100 magnificently decorated elephants parade through torch-lit streets, led by the majestic Maligawa Tusker bearing the sacred tooth relic casket. Traditional Kandyan dancers perform ancient rituals, fire dancers spin flames into the night, and thousands of drummers create hypnotic rhythms. The procession honors the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha, housed in the Temple of the Tooth (Dalada Maligawa), making it a deeply spiritual and visually breathtaking experience.