PREPARATION OF CHIEF ELEPHANT FOR PROCESSION, CHIEFS ON ??? ELEPHANTS AND THE GENERAL PROCESSION. SOUND ON FILM.




Initials CTRG/VS/JH/SS



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Background: THE MOST COLOURFUL OF ALL INDIAN PAGEANTS IS THE ANNUAL PROCESSION OF A TOOTH CLAIMED TO HAVE BELONGED TO BUDDHA.

THE TOOTH RELIC IS KEPT AT A TEMPLE IN KANDY, CEYLON. BUT EVERY YEAR IT IS BORNE THROUGH THE STREETS IN A GIANT PROCESSION OF ELEPHANTS.

THE ACTUAL RELIC IS CARRIED IN A SOLID GOLD CASKET BY THE CHIEF PRIEST OF THE TEMPLE, WHO RIDES ON A MAGNIFICENTLY DECORATED "CHIEF" ELEPHANT, RAJA.

THE BUDDHA'S TOOTH PROCESSION IS CENTURIES OLD, AND WAS BANNED DURING THE EARLY YEARS OF BRITISH RULE IN CEYLON, NOW THE ANNUAL PAGEANT AND COLOUR OF THE PROCESSION ATTRACTS TOURISTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

AS WELL AS THE RELIC, THE CHIEF PRIEST CARRIES THE HISTORIC OLA LEAF DOCUMENT, WHICH BY TRADITION ALLOWS THE HOLDING OF THE PROCESSION.

ABOUT 60 ELEPHANTS, MAY OF THEM BEARING TRIBAL CHIEFTAINS, TOOK PART IN THE PROCESSION THROUGH THE STREETS OF KANDY. THE ACTUAL LENGTH OF THE PROCESSION PARTY WAS WELL OVER A MILE (1.6 KILOMETRES).