Authorities have granted permission for all 45 Kavadi dance groups that participated in last year’s Devinuwara Uthpalawanna Sri Vishnu Maha Devalaya Esala Perahera to take part in this year’s procession.
The decision was made during a special discussion held at the Matara District Secretariat on Monday (27), chaired by Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala and attended by senior government and law enforcement officials.
Among those present were Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security Ravi Seneviratne, Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasuriya, Matara District Secretary Chandana Thilakarathne, and representatives of relevant institutions.
The meeting was convened to address concerns regarding the participation of Kavadi dance groups in the annual Esala Perahera. Following the discussions, authorities agreed that the same 45 groups that performed in last year’s procession would be permitted to participate in this year’s event.
Officials also decided to enhance security arrangements for the Esala Perahera, scheduled to take place tomorrow (28), by deploying additional police personnel and officers from the Special Task Force (STF) to ensure the safety of devotees and participants.
