Sri Lanka Esala pageant drops Kavadi ritual after gang threat warning

Colombo,UPDATED: Jul 27, 2026 13:20 IST

A security threat linked to a rivalry between two underworld gangs has led to the cancellation of a key ritual at Sri Lanka's annual Esala pageant at the Uthpalawanna Sri Vishnu temple, police said on Monday. The week-long festival in the coastal town of Devinuwara began on July 23, but the traditional Kavadi dance will not be held on Tuesday after intelligence warnings.

Police directed the Matara district secretary, the chief government administrator of the district, to cancel the Kavadi ritual over security concerns. The Devinuwara Esala pageant, dating back to the 13th century, is one of Sri Lanka's oldest and most important religious and cultural festivals held in honour of Lord Vishnu, who is regarded as one of the island's guardian deities.

Police said the threat arose from an ongoing feud between fugitive drug kingpins Shehan Sathsara and Kanjipani Imran, both believed to be operating from overseas. Authorities said the rivals had issued threats over the phone. According to sources, people believed to be followers of Sathsara were given this year's contract to perform the Kavadi ritual instead of those linked to Imran, worsening tensions between the two groups.

Kavadi is a ritual performed by devotees as an act of thanksgiving, in which participants carry decorated wooden structures on their shoulders while dancing to drums and devotional music. In March 2025, two suspected members of Imran's gang were shot dead opposite the temple in an attack allegedly carried out by the rival faction. Five days ago, unidentified gunmen opened fire at a house near the temple in what police believe was another incident linked to the underworld conflict in Devinuwara.

Sources said police intelligence had also received information about a possible armed or drone attack targeting the pageant. This led the Inspector General of Police to order tighter security measures, including the cancellation of the Kavadi performance, as the authorities moved to prevent violence during the centuries-old festival.

With PTI Inputs

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