Since it first tread the path in 1979, the vibrant Nawam Maha Perahera has been hailed as a momentous occasion that grips the city with its cultural virtuoso. Held every year in the city of Colombo, the annual pageant of the Gangaramaya Temple continues to hold hostage the senses of thousands who gather to bask in its grandeur. The drums chorus in a mesmeric reverberation, dancers sync their movements in rhythmic orbits, cane dancers design unfathomable patterns in the air, these are a few feats that highlight the lengthy procession of skilled pageantry. From beginning to end it is a living capsule of cultural tradition that defines the Island dating back to the bygone ages. The fire dancers spinning balls of fire in the air with reckless abandon is an electrifying display and much favoured by spectators. Similarly whip crackers, stilt walkers, Hanuman and peacock dances make the Nawam Maha Perahera an exuberant unison of Sri Lankan identity that transcends cultural barriers.