The diplomatic community in New Delhi will have a special opportunity this week to experience one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic living traditions, as diplomats from Embassies and High Commissions based in New Delhi travel to Kandy to witness the Kandy Esala Perahera, from 26 to 28 August 2026.
The visit brings together members of the diplomatic community who are based in New Delhi who also represent their respective countries in Sri Lanka, highlighting the important role of New Delhi as a hub of Sri Lanka’s diplomatic engagement with the wider international community.
There are currently ninety-nine (99) Ambassadors and High Commissioners based in New Delhi who, in addition to representing their countries in India, also represent their countries in Sri Lanka.
Six (06) newly designated Heads of Mission from among them will present their Letters of Credence to H.E. Anura Kumara Disanayaka, President of Sri Lanka, in Colombo on 25 August. They are H.E. Mr. Dharamkumar Seeraj, High Commissioner-designate of Guyana; H.E. Prof. Kwasi Obiri-Danso, High Commissioner-designate of Ghana; H.E. Dr. Mohammed Abdalla Ali Eltom, Ambassador-designate of the Republic of Sudan; H.E. Mr. Francisco Manuel Compress Hernandez, Ambassador-designate of the Dominican Republic; H.E. Mr. Robert Zischg, Ambassador-designate of Austria; and H.E. Mrs. Siti Arnyfariza Binti Mohd Jaini, High Commissioner-designate of Brunei Darussalam.
The presentation of credentials by these six New Delhi-based Heads of Mission is another reflection of the important role played by New Delhi in Sri Lanka’s engagement with the international community.
On 26 August, a delegation of nineteen (19) diplomats and accompanying family members from Embassies and High Commissions based in New Delhi will travel to Kandy for a specially arranged three-day programme centred on the Esala Perahera and Sri Lanka’s cultural and religious heritage.
The delegation includes Ambassadors and High Commissioners as well as senior diplomatic representatives from Guyana, Ghana, Iceland, Papua New Guinea, Ireland, Tanzania, Zambia, the Dominican Republic, Austria and Latvia.
The programme has been designed to allow the visiting diplomats to experience Sri Lanka beyond formal diplomatic engagements, through its living heritage, religious traditions, cultural performances, cuisine and hospitality.
The delegation will visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, witness the Thewawa ceremony, and visit the International Buddhist Museum and other sites of historical and cultural significance.
A major highlight will be witnessing the Randoli Perahera on the evening of 27 August, providing the visiting diplomats with an opportunity to experience first-hand one of Sri Lanka’s most spectacular expressions of its cultural and religious heritage.
The programme also includes a traditional Kandyan dinner hosted by the Chief Custodian of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and a traditional lunch at Ehelepola Walawwa, allowing the guests to experience Sri Lanka’s distinctive culinary traditions and hospitality.
The visit will conclude with visits to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Peradeniya, a gem and jewellery establishment, and the Hantana Tea Museum, offering an introduction to Sri Lanka’s natural, cultural and economic heritage.
The High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi, which facilitates and coordinates Sri Lanka’s engagement with the diplomatic community based in the Indian capital, considers the visit an important opportunity to strengthen the cultural and people-to-people dimension of Sri Lanka’s diplomatic relations, while giving members of the New Delhi-based diplomatic community a deeper understanding of Sri Lanka.
High Commission of Sri Lanka
New Delhi
24 August 2026