Kandy Temple of the Tooth: Esala Perahera dates and visitor dress code?

The Kandy Esala Perahera is Sri Lanka’s grandest cultural pageant, held annually over ten vibrant nights during the lunar month of Esala (typically July or August). The procession honors the Sacred Tooth Relic housed in the Sri Dalada Maligawa. It features whipping dancers, fire-jugglers, traditional drummers, and dozens of majestic, caparisoned temple elephants marching through Kandy streets. Visitors must observe strict dress codes: wearing conservative white clothing covering shoulders and knees, removing footwear at security checkpoints, and passing through rigorous bag screening before securing street-side viewing seats.