Art & Craft

The art ofour identity.

Drums, masks, looms and verse — crafts carried from generation to generation.

A · Kandyan dance

The danceof kings

Born from ritual, refined in royal courts, and today a national symbol seen in the Kandy Esala Perahera.

B · Traditional dance forms

Uda Rata · Hill country

Rooted in the Kohomba Kankariya ritual; acrobatic leaps and the beaded ves costume.

Drum — Geta bera

Pahatha Rata · Southern coast

Linked to healing rituals like the Sanni Yakuma; masks and dramatic character.

Drum — Yak bera

Around Sri Pada

Associated with devotion to the god Saman; a distinct regional rhythm.

Drum — Davula

C · Traditional masks

Kolam, Sanni and Raksha — carved from light kaduru wood and painted by hand in family workshops.

“Every fang, serpent and colour carries meaning.”

Kolam · Sanni · Raksha

D · Handloom & textiles

Dumbara motifs and village looms — patterns passed from hand to hand.

E · Poetry, music & storytelling

Janakavi folk verse, harvest songs, drums and the tales of Andare.