Event Descriptions

Thousands of devotees comprise of Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims gather annually during the period of Perehara Festival to pay their homage to this sacred place. It is not only a religious festival but a beautiful cultural event which depicts the religious harmony of the island nation. This majestic event is the one out of the two oldest traditional and cultural events endorsed by a gazette notification by the government of Sri Lanka.

Date & Time

June

July

• Almsgiving Ceremony at the Basnayake Nilame’sWalawwa
• Replacing the Athupandalama
• Basnayake Nimale will take part on the Perehara

• Fire Walking Ceremony

August

• MahaPerahara – Up ToKirivehera

http://www.rmkd.lk

Kataragama has a venerable history dating back to the 2nd century BC. It is mostly famous for the Kataragama Shrine (Devalaya) which is dedicated to Buddhist Guardian Deity Kataragama Deviyo (Lord Skandha Kumara) also known as Hindu War God Murugan. It is one of the few religious sites in Sri Lanka that is venerated by the Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and the Vedda people. The ancient Kiri Vehera Buddhist stupa, which is believed to be built by the regional King Mahasena in the 6th century BC is also a major attraction in Kataragama area. Further, it is among the 16 most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage sites of ancient Sri Lanka. According to the history, Lord Buddha, on his third and the last visit to Sri Lanka, was believed to have met King Mahasena, who ruled over the Kataragama area in 580 BC. It is said that King Mahasena met Lord Buddha and listened to his discourse. As a token of gratitude, the Stupa was built on that exact spot where it now stands. Thusthe Sri Lankans believe that Kataragama was sanctified by Lord Buddha. What Kataragama represents to millions of Sri Lankans is already well documented by social scientists and others. It is sufficient to remark that, from prehistoric times, Kataragama has commanded the utmost respect – even approaching fear – across lines of race and religion, such that even Christians, not to mention Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus, routinely visit remote Kataragama in large numbers.

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