✦ Colombo · Buddhist festival
Navam Perahera, Gangaramaya
Colombo’s big February procession — elephants and dancers parade around Beira Lake from the Gangaramaya Temple.
Photo: Bergentroll / Wikimedia Commons · CC0
When it usually happens
- JanNot usually
- FebUsually takes place
- MarNot usually
- AprNot usually
- MayNot usually
- JunNot usually
- JulNot usually
- AugNot usually
- SepNot usually
- OctNot usually
- NovNot usually
- DecNot usually
Many Sri Lankan festivals follow the lunar calendar, so exact dates change every year — check the official dates before booking.
Overview
The Navam Perahera is organised by the Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo around the Navam full-moon (Poya) day in February. Elephants, drummers and dancers from across the country parade through the streets around Beira Lake.
It is one of the largest processions in the country and the easiest to see for travellers staying in Colombo.
Highlights
- Elephants and dancers around Beira Lake
- Gangaramaya Temple and Seema Malaka
- Central Colombo location
Good to know
- Roads around Beira Lake close during the procession
- Stay in central Colombo for an easy walk back
References / Sources
- Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau: https://www.srilanka.travel
Location
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