Kandy Perahera rituals end with water-cutting ceremony
Source:Dailynews
The water-cutting ceremony of the Kandy Esala Perahera was carried out according to ancient rituals at Gatambe water-cutting pier yesterday (31). After completion of the last Randoli Maha Perahera, the Sathara Maha Devala perahera heads to the Gatambe water cutting pier and perform the water cutting festival by sending afloat the Kap trees planted in each of the four devalas at the time the Perahera festival commenced in the Mahaweli river.
It is a tradition from the past for the four devala priests and other officials to go to the middle of the Mahaweli River in a boat and carry out the ritual of cutting the water and keeping the water collected in a container until the end of the next year’s Perahera festival.
When the ritual of cutting the water is performed, a huge number of people gather at the place to witness it, and there is a belief among the people that by planting the Kap trees sent floating in the river in the farmlands, they can get a good harvest.
