Ayubowan!

The last quarter has been an exciting period for Jetwing! We were busy planning many new projects as well as getting ready for the official opening of our newest upgraded property in Negombo- The Jetwing Blue and also for the launch of our new logo. This double celebration just finished on the 24th of June.

It was a poignant event, as the Hotel, previously called the Blue Oceanic Hotel was the first ever Hotel that was built by the founder of Jetwing, the late Herbert Cooray. He built it himself in 1973 and commenced operations with just 6 rooms completed. With a dedicated and professional team of people who believed in our founders philosophy and his passionate desire to provide a legendary service to all our guests, Jetwing today boasts of 12 fabulous properties, 4 specialised Destination Management companies and an Airline GSA division. The original Hotel in Negombo was beautifully redesigned and upgraded by the renowned Sri Lankan architect Vinod Jayasinghe ( a pupil of the legendary Geoffrey Bawa) and was introduced to the world as Jetwing Blue! The Hotel now boasts of 112 luxury  rooms along one of the widest beaches in Sri Lanka. This includes 6 suites with stunning views of the Indian Ocean, a truly magnificent location to spend a well earned rest . Waking up in the morning and stepping out to the large balcony with a freshly brewed cup of coffee or if you are averse to coffee a steaming cup of tea and looking at the catamarans out in the sea is a breathtaking site that will haunt you forever! Or still better, sit out in the evening and sip a cocktail while the sun sets in the far horizon and then indulge in the jacuzi which is just for you! Well, let me not spoil the fun, hope you will come, explore and discover the pleasures that Jetwing Blue has to offer. Jetwing Blue also has a state of the art conference hall that can hold 600 people and with the other 2 Jetwing Hotels the Jetwing Beach and Jetwing Sea close by will have over 275 rooms to cater to large events.

The logo has also been redesigned to depict Jetwing as a reenergized brand getting ready for the challenges and opportunities that post war Sri Lanka has to offer. The lettering is based on the ancient Sanskrit forms and the butterfly wings that dot the “I” denotes discovery and adventure which is what we offer.

The 3rd quarter presents another spectacular event in Sri Lanka, the annual Kandy Esala Perehera (procession) which takes place in August (04th August to 14th August) this year. It is indeed a fabulous pageant and is considered the most spectacular religious procession in Asia. This unique symbol of Sri Lanka has over 150 majestic, richly adorned elephants on parade with the main tusker taking the Lord Buddha’s sacred tooth relic around the city of Kandy. The fire eaters, the stilt walkers, whip dancers and the acrobats will keep you spell bound. Traditionally the procession is held to invoke blessings of the gods to grant the farmers rain to cultivate their crops.

We hope you have had a great summer so far and will indeed find the time to visit us and experience the wonders of Sri Lanka.

Kandy’s ten-day Esala Perhara is the most spectacular festival in Sri Lanka and one of the most colorful religious pageants in Asia. The procession is actually a combination of five separate peraharas which evolved into a series of lavish parades in honour of the city’s four principal deities: Vishnu, Kataragama, Natha and Pattini each of whom has a temple in the city.

The festival is held on a full moon poya day in the month of Esala according to the Buddha Nirvanic calendar. Hours before the evening’s procession people begin to line the streets patiently with their families. The sacred tooth, one of Buddhism’s most sacred relics is taken from the Dalada Maligawa Temple in a golden casket and paraded through the streets of Kandy in a rich procession. After sundown a large boom is heard throughout the town and it signals the beginning of the perahara. First comes a group of men with whips that march periodically and stop as a group and crack their whips. People along the route toss coins in the street that are collected for the temple. Then the procession is led by thousands of Kandyan dancers and drummers beating thousands of drums, fire-juggling acrobats, musicians, torch bearers, waving colorful banners and thousands of barefoot pilgrims and swordsmen.  Following that is hundreds of elephants richly decorated from trunk to toe in silk costumes in glittering thread parading the streets by torch light that dazzles the crowd. The jumbo of honour is the mighty tusker from Dalada Maligawa carrying the golden casket.

During the festival period the streets of Kandy are filled with people from across the island. It is a traditional event where devotees pray for favourable rains to help successful cultivation. The most riotous parade happens on the last night when the parade is at its finest. The following morning, preparations for next year are already underway at the ‘water cutting’ ceremony. A religious official draws a sword through the Mahaweli Ganga River, in a ritual designed to divide pure and impure and ensure a plentiful supply of water. If you find yourself in Sri Lanka during the pageantry, the devotion of the pilgrims and where the amazing elephants make the entire event astonishing; do not miss the Kandy Esala Perhara!