Photo Gallery: Sri Lanka and the Kandy Esala Perahera

High in the central mountain region of Sri Lanka, surrounded by lush tropical forests, lies the city of Kandy. It is here that a relic of the great Lord Buddha is worshiped in the Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic). Pilgrims come from across the country to make sacrifice and pray at the temple. Annually for the past 600 years a magnificent religious festival has taken place in Kandy. For ten consecutive nights hundreds of drummers, dancers, torchbearers, and elephants walk through the streets of the city in Sri Lanka’s most sacred procession and renowned national pageant.

In July 1995, American photographer Michael Sarnacki made his first trip to Sri Lanka to document this spectacle. That first journey was followed by ten more trips over the following fifteen years. During these pilgrimages he photographed, researched, and wrote about this historic event and documented the lives of the people of Kandy. This extended effort is now presented in the form of a beautiful book and a breathtaking exhibition

Click on any image to view the larger versions in slide show format.
The Photographs From the thousands of images made over the years, a select number of photographs have been printed and assembled for display. This collection of inspired photographs is astonishing, delightful, and spiritually moving. Exhibitions are being planned in the United Sates, Canada, China, select cities in Europe, and of course Sri Lanka. I also made a few panoramic images which can be found here. [Requires QuickTime.] Ordering Photographs All the photographs in the book or on this site are available for sale in the following sizes: :     • 13x19 (paper size): $250* • 17x22 (paper size): $350* • 32x40 (paper size): $750*     (*plus shipping to your address) To place your order, select a photograph and note its order number (such as SL05) and then contact us by phone or email.     • Phone: 001 (248) 541-2210    • Email: michael@sarnacki.com For the dates of upcoming exhibitions of some of the book's photos, check the News page.

Click on the image above for additional images of the book. Click on the image above for a larger version of the Limited Edition set.   Prices above are U.S. (all 50 states) w/o shipping & handling. Pull down menu to select option with S&H. Please contact us for a discount on multi-book S&H. Pre Order Your Book Now U.S. (all 50 states) - 1 book w/S&H $45.90 USD U.S. (all 50 states) - 1 book & print w/S&H $379.95 USD Outside U.S. - 1 book w/S&H $92.90 USD Outside U.S. - 1 book & print w/S&H $424.95 USD Please note: PayPal buttons do not work in Firefox 3 on Mac OS X. Please use Safari. Order with a check or money order. Order form (88k PDF) You also can order through Amazon: Book only or Book, slipcase and print   Living Heritage Trust ©2023 All Rights Reserved