The main events at Tangalle are the Perahera organised by the temples along the Southern coast, so within two hours from Tangalle. Some Peraheras fall on Poya day. Some are held on any day of the months listed below. The Poya days are also an event with the Puja (offering) in the temples. Very few times a concert or a circus or a theatre are organised.
We announce all the events we hear about on our Facebook. Usually, we know the day before the event.
Public holidays and banks holidays are listed here.
A list of well described events for each month is here.
Poya
Poya is the name of the day of the full moon (usually one day earlier than the full moon written in your diary). It is the religious Buddhist day. Everything is close (the weekly market is open in the morning, the tourist restaurants on the beach are open). Many Sri Lankan people go to temple on this day. So it’s nice to visit a temple in the evening (around 5pm). You will be warmly welcome by the people. You should wear light colour cloths, no “flashy” colour and no full black cloths (half black half light is good too). White cloths are perfect! Cover your shoulder and knees like if you go to church on Sunday.
The poya days and some meanings are listed here.
Perahera
Perahera is a parade with Sri Lankan traditional dances and music, fire, elephants. Usually, the best Perahera is on the Poya day or on the last day of the festival. Be careful with the dates, they change sometimes. Dates depend on astrological good time and some months don't have good time so the Perahera is postponed to the next month. Perahera doesn't hold always on Poya day, it can be held on any days of the months listed below, or the month earlier or later. Please request the guesthouse about the exact date.
To watch a Perahera, you have to stand (only at Kataragama Perahera, you have to sit on the floor). It lasts about 2 or 3 hours. But you can leave at any time.
A lot of people go to watch Perahera, so you have to go earlier to find a good place to watch it. Foreigners are usually taller than Sri Lankan, so you should see something even if you stand behind. You will need much more time to go there due to the traffic.
Events
Here are listed the special events which happen every year. Each month has another name in the Buddhist tradition.
Kelaniya Temple (near Colombo) has its evening Perahera for few days around Poya day.
On 28th February and 1st March 2018, the Buddhist Temple Gangaramaya (gangaramaya.com) in Colombo will hold a Perahera.
The 13th April is the last day of the Sri lankan year (for Buddhists and Tamils, not for Christians or Muslims). The 14th April is the first day of the year. The new year time is fixed by astrologs when the sun passes from one state to another state. It is between 13th and 14th April. Then many auspicious times are celebrated: the first fire in the kitchen, the first meal, the first bath, the first working day,...
Sri Lankans follow many rules during these two days. Please ask your guesthouse.
From 13th to the first working day (around 18th-20th), everything is closed. It is the annual holiday for all Sri Lanka. From 10th April, most of the workers go back to their villages, so the buses are full.
After new year, a lot of festival with games are organized. Ask your guesthouse when and where.
Every houses hang one or several lanterns in their garden. It is very nice to walk in the town in the evening. A lanterns festival with huge lanterns is organised in a village around Tangalle and lasts about a week after Poya. We will tell you where.
On Wesak day, Sri Lankan people offer food (rice and curry, sweets, cordial, herbal tea, sargo) in the street or road. They install "densal" and stop cars with Buddhist flag to invite people to come to eat and drink for free. You are warmly welcome to stop and enjoy the food or the drink.
On the day after Wesak, Wewurukannala temple (near Dickwella) organises a Perahera with two elephants at the end of afternoon. Wewurukannala is about 30 minutes from Tangalle during a normal day.
Vesak and its lanterns are celebrated in the Buddhist areas. A lot of densals in the Western and Southern Coast.
On Poson day, you can go to Tissa to look one beautiful night Perahera. The Perahera is also going the two nights before Poya. Tissa is about 1h30 from Tangalle during a normal day.
On Poson day, Sri Lankan people offer food (rice and curry, sweets, cordial, herbal tea, sargo) in the street or road. They install "densal" and stop cars with Buddhist flag to invite people to come to eat and drink for free. You are warmly welcome to stop and enjoy the food or the drink.
On Poson day and during one week after, huge electric pannels showing Buddhist stories stand in villages around Tangalle. We will tell you where.
At Beliatta, a village 30 minutes north of Tangalle, a Perahera is organised during June.
Poson and its electrical pannels are celebrated in the Buddhist areas.
At Esala Poya and the week before, Dondra (devinuwara.com) has its Perahera. Dondra is about 45 minutes from Tangalle during a normal day.
At Esala Poya and the two weeks before, Kataragama (kataragama.org) has its incredible festival with extraordinary acts of penance and self-mortification. The Kataragama Perahera is a beautiful one with many elephants and dancers. An area is booked for tourists. You have to sit on the floor. Some years, July is an unauspicious time. These years, the Perahera could be postponed to August. Kataragama is about 2 hours from Tangalle during a normal day, count 3 or 4 hours with the high trafic.
At Nikini Poya and the two weeks before, Kandy (sridaladamaligawa.lk, kandyesalaperahera.com) has its festival with its beautiful Perahera. Kandy is about 5 hours from Tangalle.
Some years, when July is an unauspicious time for Perahera, Kataragama Perahera (more details above) could be held in August.
In August or in September, the biggest Perahera of the Western Province (Colombo) is held at Bellanwila Raja Maha Viharaya (bellanwila.org) in Colombo.
In August or in September, the biggest Perahera of the Western Province (Colombo) is held at Bellanwila Raja Maha Viharaya (bellanwila.org) in Colombo.
At Tangalle, Henakaduwa Temple (the temple at the Eastern entry of the town) hold its Perahera on the 16th September 2017 and on the 7th October 2018. No Perahera was shown in 2019 and since then.
A Perahera was held in Kotudagama near Dickwella on the Poya day in 2016. We don't know if it will be every year...