Ma ka Buddhism, ua laha a pili ka hoʻomana o nā relics
hoomana heiau. Wahi a ka moʻomeheu, ʻo Emperor Ashoka ma India, nāna
noho aliʻi ʻo ia i ke kenekulia 3 BC, ʻo ia ke kuleana e puʻunaue i kahi 84,000
i waiho ʻia ma hope o ke kuni ʻia ʻana o ka Buddha ma kahi o 2,500 mau makahiki aku nei. I kēia lā, aia kēia mau moʻolelo i loko o nā luakini like ʻole i hoʻopuehu ʻia ma ʻĀsia.
ʻO kekahi o nā luakini kapu loa ʻo ia ka “Temple of the Sacred Tooth”
ma Kandy, Sri Lanka, kahi o nā niho niho ʻehā o ka Buddha
hale a hoomanaia. E like me ka nānā ʻana o ka Buddhist ma ke ʻano he mea ola, ʻai
a ua haawiia na mea inu i kela a me keia kakahiaka, awakea a me ke ahiahi.
ʻO Kandy ke kapikala aliʻi hope loa o ke aupuni mokupuni ʻo Sri Lanka
ua pau i ka makahiki 1815, i ka wa i noho ai ke alii hope o Kandy, o Sri Vikrama Rajasingha
hoopau ia e na Beritania. A laila, lilo ʻo Colombo i kapikala hou a hiki i
i kēia lā. Akā ʻike ʻia ʻo Kandy no kahi ʻahaʻaina moʻomeheu i mālama ʻia ma ka
ʻO ka mahina Sinhala o Esala (Iulai-ʻAukake), kahi e hōʻailona ai i ka hopena o ke kau maloʻo
a me ka hoomaka ana o ke kau wai. I loko o kēia ʻahaʻaina i kapa ʻia ʻo "Esala
ʻO Perahera,” i hoʻolele ʻia ka niho laʻa o ka Buddha i loko o ka pahu gula ma ka
hope o kahi elepani i hana ʻia ma nā alanui o Kandy i nā Buddhist
manaʻoʻiʻo he mana kupua ka ua.
ʻO ka mea hoihoi e hoʻomaopopo i ka hele ʻana mai o ka niho laʻa mai India a i Sri Lanka.
Wahi a nā moʻolelo mōʻaukala, ʻo ke aliʻi wahine Kalinga Hemamala o Danta Pura,
i kēia lā Orissa, lawe i ka niho laʻa i Sri Lanka ma ke kai a hāʻawi ʻia
i ke alii o keia aina, o Kit Siri Mevan, ka mea i noho alii ma kona kapikala
Anuradhapura i ka makahiki 303-331 AD. Mai ia manawa mai, ka relic niho kapu
auwana mai ke kapikala a i ke kapikala. King Vimaladharmasurya I (1591-1604)
lawe mai i ka niho kapu i kona kapikala hou o Kandy, i ka wa a ka poe Pukiki,
ka mea i noho ma Goa, Inia, ua hooweliweli aku e luku i ka relic. ʻOiaʻiʻo, lākou
hana, akā, ʻaʻole ʻo ia ka niho maoli.
Hoʻopaʻa ʻia ka Esala Perahera makahiki i nā pō he ʻumi a pau
i ke kakahiaka o ka la mahina piha o Esala. Hoʻokani nā ʻelepani a
kuleana nui i ka Festival of the Sacred Tooth Relic no ka mea
hōʻailona i nā ao ua e ʻākoakoa ma mua o ka ua.
Ua komo nā akua ua kūikawā e like me Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama, a me Pattini
ka ahaaina hoi. Eia kekahi, ʻo ka "perahera" kekahi mau hui mele
me nā pahu, nā mea kani a me nā kimebala, a me nā hula lāhui.
Aia nā puʻupuʻu huikau e hōʻailona ana i ke kani o ka hekili a me kekahi
nā mea lawe lama e hōʻailona ana i ka uila.
ʻO ka mea nui o ka Esala Perahera ka mea i kapa ʻia
ʻO ka hana "ʻoki wai", ke komo nā kāhuna o nā akua ua
huakaʻi i ka Mahaveli Ganga a hoe i ka waʻa huna me ka lole keʻokeʻo i
waena o ka muliwai me na pahikaua gula a me na pahu. Ma laila, ka hoʻopiha hou
hana ʻia nā pahu ma ke ʻano kupua. Me ka ua e hiki mai ana ma hope o ka
ʻO ka hana ʻoki wai, hoʻomaka ka hoʻi ʻana o ka ua o nā mōneka Buddhist a
ʻekolu mahina e hiki mai ana.
