The town of Kataragama in Sri Lanka is famed as a popular pilgrimage destination for many devotees from all parts of the country and even overseas, attracting Hindus, Buddhists and even the indigenous Veddah community.
Hindu and Buddhist veneration of Kataragama has been practiced for centuries, with followers of these two religions holding slightly different beliefs regarding the site. Tamil Hindus identify the presiding deity of the locality as Lord Katirkaman, who is identified as Skanda-Murugan, also known as Subramanya.
Buddhists, on the other hand, consider the local divinity to be Kataragama Deviyo, a protective deity of Buddhists and their religion. In fact the town is revered as one of the sixteen most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the island.
However there is no doubt that the most looked forward to time of the year at the famed Kataragama Temple is the annual festival season. This much anticipated occasion falls on the full moon day of Esala, which generally occurs in July or August. This is a vibrant and hectic occasion, when thousands of devotees throng the town to demonstrate their devotion to the presiding deity. Drummers show off their artistry and majestic elephants in rich attire are paraded.
Favours are requested from the divinity and firm vows are made. There are those who go to extraordinary lengths to show their complete dedication to the godhead, performing amazing acts of seemingly excruciating rites of self-mortification. Some of these devotees roll bare-bodied across the sandy areas near the venerated temple; others swing, apparently oblivious to the pain, from metal hooks piercing their bodies. Still others dare to walk over red-hot coals whilst the onlookers shout out words of encouragement.
The festival concludes with the water-cutting rite which is performed in the nearby Menik River, which is thought to bring rain and usher in plentiful harvests. With so many distinctive sights, sounds and sensations the spectacular Kataragama Festival never fails to enthral the visitor, irrespective of age or nationality.
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Chandrishan Williams is a travel writer who writes under the pen name, Caleb Falcon. He specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers.