Item in the Daily Mirror, 18 May 2024
A situation has arisen where getting the participation of elephants at both peraheras has become a problem due to the holding of the Ratnapura Maha Saman Devalaya Perahera and the Kandy Esala Perahera on the same day, Sri Dalada Maligawa Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela said.
He told the Daily Mirror that at least 60 elephants will be able to participate in the Kandy Esala Perahera this year. During previous Kandy Esala Perahera seasons, 75 elephants participated, he said.
Men ride elephants along a street in the ancient hill capital of Kandy on August 29, 2023, during the Esala Perahera festival. (Photo by Ishara S. KODIKARA / AFP) (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)
“There are a total of 96 tamed elephants available in the country, but only 80 elephants can be taken for peraheras this season due to their physical health conditions and other issues. At least 20 elephants will be sent for the Ratnapura Maha Saman Devalaya perahera, and the remaining elephants will be assigned to the Kandy Esala perahera,” the Diyawadana Nilame said.
He said in 2000, a total of 225 tamed elephants were in the country,
but now the count had decreased to 96.
Participants in the Esala Perahera Festival procession, Kandy, Sri Lanka …. Photo by Jason Edwards/National Geographic/Getty Images
May be elephants cannot bear the torture meted upon them any longer. Successive Governments built up more than enough white elephants pushing the wild elephants to human habitats. Dela started his career as a Nilame from Saman Dewalaya.He may be having a conflict of interest. Is there a necessity to continue this feudalistic perahera in this modern world. No wonder Sri Lanka is bankrupt.