Sunday was Navam Poya in Sri Lanka. We attended Colombo’s annual perahera in honor of Buddha’s announcement of his coming death. The perahera was a special event to witness. It seemed like all of Colombo’s inhabitants were in attendance. Kids excitedly begged their parents to buy them light up toys and cotton candy. It took me back to when my parent took my brother, sister, and I to the light parade at Disneyland when I was young. Recalling on the excitement I felt that day and watching the kids around me experiencing the same feelings put me in high spirits.
The perahera was incredible. There were hundreds of dancers and musicians, beautiful costumes, and 68 elephants! I felt pretty conflicted seeing these elephants in chains walking through the city. But they certainly are beautiful animals and have been used in Buddhist celebrations for centuries.
It was great listening to the drums and horns as they went by; something that made the experience much more stimulating than just hearing music blasting from a speaker like most parades in the US do.
After watching for two hours, the perahera was brought to an abrupt halt. An elephant stepped on a hot coal that had fallen from one of the large torches. The poor thing freaked out and got loose! Everyone went running. Kids were crying. It was crazy. As far as I know, no one was hurt except the elephant. It was quite a scare. I think it was an obvious indication that elephants should not be in chains walking through the streets of a big city.
Despite the unexpected ending, it was an amazing perahera. This country has so many beautiful traditions to share. From the Kandyan dancing to the intricate costumes, the perahera communicated many aspects of Sri Lankan culture.
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