The Nanumura Ceremony

The Nanumura Mangalaya is one of the most intimate and ancient rituals performed at the Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth Relic) in Kandy. Conducted every Wednesday, it stands apart from the daily Buddha Pujas as a dedicated ceremonial bathing ritual — a living tradition that has been maintained for centuries within the temple's complex liturgical calendar.

What is the Nanumura Mangalaya?

The word nanumura refers to a ritual bathing or anointing. Within the temple hierarchy, the Nanumura Mangalaya is classified as a Dalada Buddhopasthana puja — a form of worship performed in direct reverence to the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha. It is sometimes called the weekly sacrifice, though the term refers to an offering of devotional service rather than any physical sacrifice.

The ceremony re-enacts, in symbolic form, the bathing of the living Buddha by his attendant Ananda. This act of symbolic purification is carried out through a precise sequence of ritual gestures, music, and sacred preparations that have been codified and passed down through generations of temple custodians.

How is the Nanumura Ceremony prepared?

Preparation begins well before the ceremony takes place. Temple vessels and tea utensils are thoroughly washed and cleaned — both inside and out — ensuring ritual purity. On the morning of the ceremony, the Thevabhara Lord (the presiding high priest) and lay officials bathe and present themselves in fresh clothing. The Thevabhara Theras don robes reserved exclusively for the Nanumura puja, worn on no other occasion.

The Katthiyana Rala — an appointed temple official — prepares a herbal medicinal bath liquid well in advance. The principal ingredients in this formulation include sandalwood, red sandalwood, and musk, drawn from an ancient recipe that has been maintained since the early Kandyan period. This liquid forms the ceremonial bath medium used throughout the ritual.

What happens during the Nanumura ritual?

The ceremony is held before the afternoon puja, typically beginning around 9.15 in the morning. At that hour, the temple keys are presented, the inner doors are opened, and the sacred items are censed with incense before being arranged on the ceremonially cleaned seat.

The sequence then unfolds in a carefully ordered progression:

• The Vata Hevisiya (a traditional drum ensemble) is played three times to signal the commencement of the ritual.
• The Hakgedi chant is performed three times, accompanied by the ringing of a nut ring, marking the formal beginning of the bathing sequence.
• The poet Manduwa begins playing and singing ceremonial verses.
• The wedding drum is struck three times.
• The Thetamattu — the symbolic bathing gestures — is then performed, enacting the postures of the living Buddha being bathed by Ananda.

Following these bathing rites, the Aalathi pada (a devotional lamp-waving song) is performed, and the Aalathi lamp is ceremonially unloaded. Additional instruments played on this occasion include the Tabboruwa, Nagasingham, Udakkiya, and Kaithalam — a distinctive ensemble heard only during specific temple ceremonies.

A short procession of approximately 1,000 circuits is then carried out around the patha malaya (the lower level of the palace where the ceremony is held). When the procession concludes, the doors are briefly opened for devotees to offer flowers — a rare opportunity for the public to participate, even from a respectful distance.

What happens after the Nanumura puja ends?

Once the Nanumura Mangalaya is complete, the standard Buddha Puja is performed. After the puja concludes, the vessels are removed and a second opportunity is offered for flower offerings before the inner doors are locked at the appointed time.

Devotees have attended the Sri Dalada Maligawa on Wednesdays for centuries specifically to receive the nanu juice — the residual herbal liquid from the ritual bath — which is considered to carry significant spiritual and medicinal merit. On certain Wednesdays, it is possible to observe devotees gathered outside, waiting for this distribution.

How does the Nanumura Mangalaya relate to other Kandy temple ceremonies?

The Nanumura Mangalaya sits within a broader tradition of elaborate ceremonial life at Sri Dalada Maligawa. The temple is perhaps most widely known beyond Sri Lanka for the Esala Perahera Festival — a grand annual procession held in July or August. The Nanumura, by contrast, is a quieter and more private expression of that same devotional tradition, repeated week after week without public fanfare.

Those with a deep interest in Kandyan ritual culture may also find the Diya-Kepeema (Water Cutting Ceremony) of interest — another water-related ceremony associated with the Esala festival season that carries distinct symbolic meaning in the context of Sinhalese royal and religious traditions.

Who can attend the Nanumura Ceremony?

The inner rites of the Nanumura Mangalaya are conducted by temple officiants — the Thevabhara clergy and appointed lay staff — and are not open to the general public in the way that some outer-temple pujas are. However, visitors present at the temple on a Wednesday morning may witness aspects of the ceremony from the permitted areas, and may have the opportunity to make flower offerings during the brief windows when the doors are opened. The Kandy city tour offered by Lakpura can be timed to include a Wednesday morning visit for travellers who wish to observe this tradition.

Appropriate attire — shoulders and knees covered — is required for entry into the temple precinct, and shoes must be removed before entering any shrine area. Photography policies inside the inner sanctum are strictly enforced by temple authorities.

Why does the Nanumura ceremony matter to visitors?

For travellers interested in Sri Lanka's living religious heritage, the Nanumura Mangalaya offers a window into a ritual culture that has changed very little over hundreds of years. The use of ancient herbal recipes, the specific sequence of music and gesture, and the continuity of the officiant roles all point to a tradition that has been deliberately preserved rather than adapted for modern audiences. It is, in that sense, among the most authentic ritual experiences available to an observant visitor in Kandy.