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Sri Lanka Travel Tips

Calendar of Events

Sri Lanka’s deep-rooted and ancient civilisation endows the island with a legacy of colourful national and religious festivals.  Hardly a month goes by without a unique national or religious celebration of diverse cultures and religions, celebrated with the flair of people with a genius for pageantry and ceremony.

The full moon (poya) day of each month known by their traditional Sinhala names (please see back cover) is of special religious significance.  The exact dates of Sri Lanka’s festivals change from year to year as they depend on lunar or solar phases. Sports events in Sri Lanka too attract fanfare.  While Sri Lanka is internationally known for sports like cricket and athletics, an increasing array of sporting events including golf tournaments, water-sport events and motor races are becoming popular attractions in some the most scenic

DECEMBER
Sri Pada Pilgrimage Season
Sri Pada or Adam’s Peak as it is known to the Westerners, is a mountain 2237 meters high situated in the South - west corner of Central Highlands.   Thousands of pilgrims from many faiths climb the mountain to pay homage and make observance commencing from full-moon day of December to the full-moon day of April the following year.  Buddhists believe that it enshrines the foot print of Gauthama Buddha at the summit.   Hindus, Muslims and Christians also make pilgrimage for their own religious reasons.  The spectacle of sunrise from the mountain top is an unforgettable sight.

JANUARY
Durutu Perahera Pageant
A colourful religious pageant at the Kelaniya Temple 12 km away from the city of Colombo. This pageant is to commemorate the third visit of buddha to Sri Lanka.  It is a colourful procession of caparisoned elephants, torch bearers and traditional dancers.

FEBRUARY - 1^st Week
Classic Car Rally
Over 40 to 50 Classic cars ranging from CE1 upwards will proceed in a rally from Colombo to Wattala on the Classic Car Club Members day rally.

FEBRUARY 03^rd
Independence Celebration

Horse Race Meet
Independence Race Meet, a horse racing event at the Race Course in the scenic hill city of Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka’s chief mountain resort, at 6,200 feet above sea level and home to the highest mountains of Sri Lanka.

FEBRUARY 04^th
Independence Day
This day commemorates the granting of independence to Sri Lanka by the British on 04th February 1948.  It is a great patriotic and national occasion celebrated with colourful parades and pageants depicting the nation’s culture and achievements.

FEBRUARY 14^th & 15^th
Navam Perahera Pageant
A colourful traditional perahera organised by Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo parades the city streets for two nights.  Dancers, elephants, whip crackers make it an unforgettable event.

FEBRUARY 21^st - 25^th
Japanese Pro Surfing
Over 30 foreign participants are expected at this international professional surfing competition at the beach side resort city of Hikkaduwa.

MARCH - 1^st Week
Vintage Check Point Rally
Vintage Car Owners club will conduct the Vintage Check Point Rally in Colombo.  Over 50 – 55 Vintage cars, known as A-Z cars that were first registered in Sri Lanka over 60 years ago will take part in this rally.

MARCH - 1^st Week
Elephant Polo
The introduction of an all Sri Lanka Elephant polo competition event by the Ceylon Elephant Polo Association intended to popularise the sport in Sri Lanka.  Beating the retreat by the pipes and drums of the Sri Lankan Navy and a local Perehera in the village of Weligama are aimed to make the event as enjoyable off the field as it is on the field.   It is hoped that the event will be able to give financial assistance to local education and to the elephant orphanage.

APRIL - 1^st Week
Turf Horse Races - Governors
Governor’s Cup, the main event at the April Festive season race meets at Nuwara Eliya Race Course.

APRIL 13^th & 14^th
Sinhala and Tamil New Year
The two main ethnic groups in Sri Lanka, the Sinhalese and the Tamils celebrate a common traditional New Year in the month of April originally harvesting thanks giving.  This marks the passage of the sun from Pisces to Aries.  Traditional customs are observed on this day with merrymaking and fun and games and lavish hospitality.

APRIL
Flower Show & Garden Competition
Flower Show and garden competition are among many events organized during the holiday season in the mountain resort of Nuwara Eliya.  Set in the heart of the tea-country, at 6,200 feet above sea level, Nuwara Eliya is a beautiful town where the British succeeded in creating an English countryside with homes in styles from Georgian to Queen Anne with well-kept lawns with hedges, an Anglican church and the famous golf course and beautiful parks.

APRIL
Motor Racing: Mahagasthota Hill Climb and the Radalla Hill Climb
In April Nuwara Eliya will provide an excellent vantage view of motor racing when over hundred formula three cars to motor cycles compete at the Mahagasthota Hill Climb and the Radalla Hill climb.

MAY 15^th & 16^th
Vesak Full Moon 
Vesak is a thrice blessed day for Buddhists throughout the world.   It commemorates the birth of Prince Siddhartha, his attaining enlightenment and passing away into Nibbana as Gauthama Buddha.  It is a day of great sanctity devoted to religious observances and charity.  The day is also celebrated with festivity with numerous colourful decorations and illuminations, pandals and pageants.  Wayside stalls distribute food and refreshments to the pilgrims and passers by.

JUNE 2^nd Week
Turf Horse Races
Horse Race Meets at Nuwara Eliya Race Course.

JUNE 14^th
Poson Full Moon
Poson, the full-moon festival commemorates the advent of Buddhism to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century B.C.  The day is celebrated with religious observances.  The centre of festivities is at Mihintale (about 10km) from Anuradhapura where the Buddhist doctrine was first preached by Arahat Mahinda, son of the great Emperor Asoka of India.  Apart from religious festivals there are illuminations and decorations and processions in various parts of the island.

14^th June
Bellanwila
A colourful Esala pageant is also held at the Rajamaha Vihara (Buddhist temple) at Bellanwila, a Southern suburb of Colombo.  The perahera features low-country folk dancers in addition to Kandyan dancers.

JULY 28^TH - AUGUST 12^th
Esala Festivals - Kandy Perahera
Esala (July/August) is the season of festivals in Sri Lanka and the full moon day of Esala is the climax of some of the festivals.  The most magnificent of these festivals is the Kandy Esala Perahera.   A spectacular medieval day pageant is held for 10 nights climaxing with the Kandyan dancers and Drummers in colourful traditional costumes.  Kandyan Chieftains in medieval court dress, more than one hundred caparisoned elephants whip crackers, torch bearers etc., make it an unforgettable experience.

Kataragama
The Kataragama festival is another of the major Esala Festivals.  Kataragama in the South-East corner of the island is a jungle shrine dedicated to God Skanda and is a popular pilgrim centre for Buddhists and Hindus.  Fire walking and the annual perahera in July/August are some of its highlights.

1^st week of August
Dondra
In southern Sri Lanka, 160 km from Colombo is the shrine dedicated to God Vishnu at Dondra, where Esala Festivals take place every year with colourful perahera featuring Kandyan and lower country dances.

1^st week of August
Munneswaram
About 75 km north of Colombo (3 km from Chilaw) is a Hindu shrine dedicated to God Siva where a colourful temple festival with fire walking takes place during the Esala Festival time.  This is a popular pilgrim centre for both Hindus and Buddhists.

1^st week of August
Vel Festival
Some of Colombo’s main streets take on a festival atmosphere in August where the capital’s main Hindu festival takes place and ornately decorated Vel Chariot makes its annual trip carrying the weapons of God Skanda from one temple to the other. (The exact date of the Esala Peraheras and of the other festivals are announced only during the first quarter of the year.)

AUGUST 2^nd Week
Turf Horse Races
Horse Race Meets at Nuwara Eliya Race Course.

SEPTEMBER
Facets - 2003: International Gem and Jewellery Show
A treasure trove of gems and jewellery will go on display at the 13th Sri Lanka international gem and jewellery exhibition in Colombo.   Facets is an annual event which has become an attraction not only for those involved in the gem and jewellery trade, but also an annual event which draws many visitors from around the world.

SEPTEMBER - 2^nd Week
International Rugby Sevens
Singer/Sri Lankan Airlines International Rugby Sevens tournament will be held in Kandy with the participation of international teams.

SEPTEMBER - 2^nd Week
Horse Race Meets at Nuwara Eliya Race Course.

OCTOBER - 1^st Week
International Marathon
The hill capital Kandy will be the venue for the 5th LSR International Marathon with over 300 athletes and over 100 foreign participants.

OCTOBER - 4^th Week
Sri Lankan Golf Classic
8th Sri Lankan Golf Classic will be held in Digana.  The scenic Victoria International Golf and country Resort located close to the hill capital Kandy will be the venue for the next SriLankan Airlines annual Golf Classic.

OCTOBER 24^th
Deepavali: Festival of Highlights
The festival of lights celebrated by all Hindus.  Hindu homes are lit up at night, new clothes worn, homes spring-cleaned and all Hindus purify themselves with an oil bath.  Illuminations are designed to welcome Lakshmi.

NOVEMBER
International Marathon
An International Marathon will be held in the hill capital Kandy.  Dates to be announced.

DECEMBER
Id-UI-Fitr (Ramazan Festival)
This day ending Islamic period of fasting is attended with joy and festivals.

DECEMBER 08^th
Sangamitta Day (Unduwap Full Moon)
This day marks the historic event of bringing the right sapling of the sacred Bo-tree under which Gauthama Buddha attained enlightenment in India.  The sapling of the Bodhi tree was brought by Arahat Theri Sangamitta, sister of Arahat Mahinda and daughter of Emperor Asoka.

DECEMBER
Turf Horse Races
It is the “Mini Season”  in Nuwara Eliya and a two day Christmas Horse Race meet will be held at the Nuwara Eliya Race Course.

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  Information provided by Sri Lanka Tourism Board.

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