The annual Kataragama Esala festival is being celebrated in Sri Lanka. Devotees who started their Pada Yatra in May have reached Kataragama completing a journey of over 500 kilometres across difficult terrain on foot from as far afield as Jaffna in Sri Lanka’s northern peninsula. The festival which is celebrated across faiths is known to have deep bonds bridging India and Sri Lanka. Katharagama’s main temple of the Maha Devala is dedicated to the Hindu God of War, Skanda.  Said to have six heads, twelve arms, twenty names and-two wives, Skanda is also ardently worshipped by Buddhists as the Katharagama Deviyo, while Muslims believe that the place has connection with Hazrat Khizr. The Perahara which commenced on 6th of July will feature fire walk event on Thursday and end on 21st July with a grand procession.