Festivals and fiestas in NCP

The NCP celebrates many colourful traditional festivals which will delight and fascinate visitors. As one of Buddhism's holiest cities and location of many venerated shrines, the NCP capital Anuradhapura and its eight major shrines (called the Atamasthana) celebrate the full moon (poya) day with traditional rituals, pageants (perahera) and illuminations. Chief among these are the Poson festival (usually in June), which commemorates the advent of Buddhism to Sri Lanka in the 3rd c. B.C. and draws thousands of pilgrims. The main venues of celebration are Mihintale, site of the first sermon, and Anuradhapura.

An offering of jasmines (Pichcha Mal Poojawa) is made to the sacred Bo Tree, annually on June 5th, as part of these celebrations. At Polonnaruwa, a Poson pageant is held at the Galvihara Shrine.

Wesak, the main festival of the Buddhist calendar, is also a major festival celebrated in Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and everywhere else in the NCP. A grand traditional pageant (Dalada Perahera) in Anuradhapura, featuring dancers, drummers and caparisoned elephants, in honour of the sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha, first enshrined in the NCP, is held for two nights, centered at the Sacred Bo Tree and the Abayagiri dagaba.

The Sacred Bo Tree is the venue of another traditional festival, (in March/April), the Alut Sahal Mangallya or New Rice fiesta, the farmers' thanks giving which underlies the Sri Lankan New Year Celebrations. NCP farmers walk in procession with drummers and musicians, bearing new rice from their fields, with which kiribath (milk-rice) is prepared and offered to the Sacred Bo Tree.

The Kalawewa festival held in September on the bund of the great 5th c. reservoir the Kalawewa features the boiling of milk for offering to God Kadawara, to ensure success in agricultural activities.