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2008 News Archive - Holidays - Sri Lanka celebrates Duruthu Perahera

03 12 2008

While the UK gears up for what could be a cold, wet Christmas, sunny Sri Lanka will be preparing itself for an altogether more exotic holiday in the new year.

Duruthu Perahera, which takes place in January, marks the anniversary of Buddha's first visit to the island, over 2,500 years ago.

The perahera of the title are three processions of elephants, actors in costumes, dancers, musicians and religious devotees dressed in white, which will parade through the sacred Kelaniya temple in Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital.

According to WhatsonWhen, "hundreds of thousands of people" will be in attendance as the first parade, the Udamaluwa Perahera, starts on the upper terrace of the temple with shots fired from cannons.

The second and third processions are set to be even more colourful than the first.

Visitors to Sri Lanka early next year could also enjoy its sandy beaches, lush jungles and an abundance of wildlife.

According to the BBC, Colombo experiences average high temperatures of 30 degrees C for January.


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