Tourists to be or not to be at Esala Perahera
Tourism authorities are considering allowing tourists to witness the Esala Dalada Maliga Perahera that commenced on Thursday and ends on August 22.
Despite the Kandy Perahera being out of bounds to the general public the tourism authorities, according to a source at Sri Lanka Tourism, are hoping that tourists already in the country will be able to witness this spectacle. This is yet to be confirmed by health authorities.
The Perahera this year, similar to last year, is being held amid tight health guidelines as stipulated by the health authorities with dancers located in different locations joining the Perahera from those locations.
Food and accommodation for those participating at the Perahera are provided separately as they are operating within a bio bubble concept and will not be interacting with their family members for the duration of the Perahera, Dalada Maligawa officials said.
While the Police and Army is being deployed to provide security to the Perahera the health aspects will be taken into account by the health authorities and in this respect a continuous daily monitoring of the situation will take place.
While some in the industry believe that a complete ban on public viewing of the Perahera might be reversed by the health authorities should the conditions improve, others note that tourists already staying in the country should be allowed to witness this pageant and not miss the opportunity.
In this respect, tourism authorities are hoping to obtain clearance from health authorities to at least allow the tourists to view the Randoli Perahera on the last day of the Perahera scheduled for August 22.