Footage of Elephant Agitations during the final Kumbhal Perahera?

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The annual Esala Maha Perahera at the historic Sri Dalada Maligawa and the four devalas in Kandy was recently concluded with respect for ancient rituals. However, several videos were circulated on social media showing elephants in the Dalada Perahera becoming agitated and running amok. Here is a fact check we conducted regarding such a social media post.

Social Media Posts:

A video was circulated on social media, claiming that an elephant was agitated during this year’s Dalada Perahera, with the caption, “What happened during the last Kumbal Perahera”.

Below is a video that has been circulating on TikTok.

TikTok

Similarly, another video was circulating claiming to be an elephant stampede that occurred during the recent Dalada Perahera.

Facebook

We took steps to fact-check these claims.

Fact Check :

The final Kumbal Perahera of the historic Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy took place on August 3rd.

The relic casket was carried by the Indiraja elephant, accompanied by the two elephants Kotteraja and Pulathisiraja.

However, our investigation confirmed that during the perahara, there were no instances of elephants being stampeded or attacking the herdsman.

An incident during the Recent Devinuwara Esala Perahera festival

Therefore, upon examining this social media video, we found that this was an incident that took place during the Devinuwara Esala Perahera on July 4th.

At the 768th Devinuwara Esala Perahera procession, an elephant was seen agitated. It was also reported through mainstream media.

Here and here are how some Facebook users had also shared this video, referring to it as ‘the agitated elephants at the Devinuwara Perahera’. The Accident 1st Facebook page had also posted this video.

Media Division of Utpalavanna Sri Vishnu Maha Devalaya

We inquired with the media department of the Uthpalavanna Sri Vishnu Maha Devalaya, and they stated that this was an incident that took place during the Devinuwara Perahera on the 4th. 

It was noted that the elephant ‘Bhanu’, who was agitated, had been removed from the procession, and that the herdsman, who was hospitalised that day, was also in good health. The procession had resumed after a delay of about 15 minutes due to the disturbances.

Local journalists also confirmed the above. Here is an old video of Bhanu elephant and its herdsman.

The annual Esala Maha Perahera at the Uthpalawanna Sri Vishnu Maha Devalaya in Devinuwara takes place from July 25th to August 17th.

Media Division of Sri Dalada Maligawa

The Media Division of the Sri Dalada Maligawa also confirmed that the annual Esala Perahera was concluded successfully and that there has been no disturbance of elephants this time.

The Chief Incumbent of the historic Lankathilaka Raja Maha Viharaya, Venerable Pada Amunugama Sri Vipassi Nayaka Thero, also confirmed to us that there was no such incident of elephants becoming agitated during this year’s Dalada Perahera.

The second video is from 2023

The second video, which was shared with the claim mentioned above, is a scene from the Second Kumbal perahera in Kandy on August 22, 2023, when two elephants behaved violently, causing panic among the crowd. Here is how it was shared through the Facebook page of ITN.

Here is a mainstream media report on it. You can watch more videos here and here.

The annual Esala Perahera at the historic Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy

The month of Esala has been known as the month of procession since ancient times. This is because during the month of Esala, processions are held at several major temples on the island. It is a cultural value that has attracted both locals and foreigners. Although Esala Perahera is held in places such as Kandy, Aluth Nuwara, Nawagamuwa, Devundara, Ratnapura, and Kataragama, the grandest Esala Perahera is held by the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy.

The Dalada Perahera is held according to the ancient traditions and on auspicious signs. The task of preparing the relevant auspicious signs is entrusted to a specific person called ‘Nakath Mohottala’. These auspicious signs are often applied to the month of Esala (July). Sometimes it also applies to both the months of Esala and Nikini ( July – August).

The processions held by the Dalada Maligawa are known as the Nuwara Perahera, Senkadagala Perahera, Sri Dalada Perahera, Mahanuwara Perahera, Maliga Perahera, Kanda Udarata Perahera, and Esala Perahera.

According to the ancient tradition, the procession at the Sri Dalada Maligawa is concluded with the Water Cutting ceremony, also known as ‘Diya Kapeeme Mangalya’. After the Water Cutting ceremony, the procession at other temples and devalas in Kandy begins. This season is filled with many Perahera festivals. Therefore, our ancestors called this month the “Perahera Month.”

The Perahera is considered a festival that reflects Sri Lankan identity, as it consists of a variety of dance, musical and performance elements and ancient rituals that have been passed down through generations. It is considered to have evolved from the Ashatha Festival or the Esala Keliya, which took place in ancient India. It is believed that the Kandy Esala Perahera took on its current form during the reign of King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe.

The present-day Kandy Esala Perahera is believed to have begun around the mid-8th century AD. It included only the perahera of the four devala, Natha, Katharagama, Vishnu and Pattini. It is believed that the Esala Perahera acquired a Buddhist aspect due to the addition of a Perahera from the Temple of the Tooth to the four Peraheras by King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe (1747-1782 AD) on the advice of Venerable Weliwita Saranankara Sangharaja Thero. 

The ancient Dalada Perahera has been used as an opportunity to demonstrate state power rather than a cultural display. The Dalada Perahera, held on 29 May 1828, with the permission of the then Governor of Ceylon, Sir Edward Barnes, began amidst military salutes. More information on this can be found here.

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Conclusion :

The video posted on social media, stating that an elephant was agitated during the final Kumbal Perahera, is an incident that took place during a different procession, the Devinuwara Esala Perahera on July 4th. Similarly, the other video, which showed elephants being stampeded, is an incident from the 2023 Esala Perahera.