SRI LANKA: Jewelled elephants parade alongside decked up Sri Lankans during an annual hill station pageant

Record ID: 738074

  • Title: SRI LANKA: Jewelled elephants parade alongside decked up Sri Lankans during an annual hill station pageant
  • Date: 3rd September 2007
  • Summary: SECURITY WATCHING PEOPLE ARRIVING FOR PARADE
  • Embargoed: 18th September 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Sri Lanka
  • Country: Sri Lanka
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
  • Reuters ID: LVA1PI9CTCOIU75LPT68O88MTT8E
  • Story Text: Sri Lanka's sleepy hill capital of Kandy is lit up with thousands of lights as residents dressed in festive garb parade through the hill station.
    Hundreds of dancers drummers and torch bearers led by gaily decorated elephants paraded the streets of Sri Lanka's hill capital Kandy in an annual pageant seen as one of the most unique in the region.
    Elephants adorned with embroidered clothing and lights led the colourful parade.
    The parade, which has been taking place for centuries is watched by tens of thousands of Sri Lankans and hundreds of foreigners. It takes place for 10-days and the highlight is the the tooth relic, which Buddhists all over the world believe is a remnant of lord Buddha.
    The pageant started in 1740 as part of the harvest festival to thank Gods for a good paddy harvest, the staple food of Sri Lanka. But in 1792, the then king Keerthi Sri Rajasingha included the parading of the sacred tooth relic as well. Traditionally, the leader of the Island is the custodian of the tooth relic and that legitimized his rule.
    Security was tight with everybody searched by police and soldiers due to fears of a terrorist attack by tamil tiger rebels who are fighting for a separate state in the north and east of the island.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Footage contains identifiable children: users must ensure that they comply with local laws and regulations governing the publishing of this material.
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