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Kataragama Shrine
Kataragama is located in the Southeast corner of
the island country.
Kataragama is a holy shrine and a popular pilgrim center
for Buddhists and Hindus. Infact Kataragama is one of the
16 principal places of Buddhist pilgrimage
Kataragama Festival
Kataragama is famous for fire walking rituals and
the annual perahera (procession) in July/August
The Kataragama festival is one of the major Esala
Festivals in Sri Lanka.
The period of festivities is marked by great religious
frenzy. On the first night of the festival a flag-hoisting
ceremony takes place.
Each following night, various rituals are performed
after the initial worship. During this festival white-clad
Kapurala shaman-priests perform a major ritual ceremony. The
festival reaches to its climax on the last night. On this
full moon night several colorful are performed.
Late in the night and during early morning fire-walking
ritual is performed, in which hundreds of pilgrims slowly
make their way, barefoot, across the burning ash. Surprisingly
no one is burned.
Kataragama has earned reverence from devotees of all religions,
thus providing an apt example of racial and religious harmony.
India Sri Lanka Tours offer information on Kataragama and
online booking for Sri Lanka Tours. To book your tour or for
more information please fill the form given below.
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