The Esala festival will be concluded with the traditional water cutting rituals in the Mahaweli River at the Gatambay Thotupola on Monday (11) morning.

The historic Esala Festival, a tradition being carried from the eras of Kings, attracts thousands of devotees, pilgrims and foreign visitors to the hill capital of Kandy and it is a major tourist attraction.

The Perahera, consisting of traditional dances and magnificently decorated elephants, is the biggest Buddhist festival in Sri Lanka. It is held annually in honor of the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha enshrined at the Temple of Tooth in Kandy. (ST/KH)