Art & Craft · Southern Province
The Living Tradition of Ambalangoda Masks
In the coastal town of Ambalangoda, families of carvers have kept alive the craft of the painted wooden mask — once worn for healing rituals and folk theatre, now admired around the world.
6 min read
An educational feature from the Art & Craft collection.
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Three families of masks
Sri Lankan masks are broadly grouped by the performances they serve. Kolam masks portray kings, villagers and animals in a satirical folk drama. Sanni masks represent the demons of illness in healing rituals, traditionally eighteen of them. Raksha masks — fierce, cobra-crowned faces — appear in festivals and processions.
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Wood, colour and symbolism
Masks are traditionally carved from kaduru, a light wood, and painted in bold colours. Every detail carries meaning: bulging eyes, fangs and serpents express power, while colours indicate character and the illness or force represented.
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The workshops of Ambalangoda
Ambalangoda is home to long-established mask-carving families and workshops, some with small museums explaining the meaning of each mask. Visitors can watch carvers shape, sand and paint masks entirely by hand.
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Kolam — theatre in masks
Kolam is a folk drama of the southern coast in which masked characters parade and tell stories, often with humour and social satire. It is one of the oldest forms of theatre on the island.
Did you know
Interesting facts
01
The Sanni Yakuma ritual traditionally features eighteen illness demons.
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Raksha masks often feature crowns of cobras.
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Most mask-making knowledge is passed down within families.
References & further reading
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Kolam
- Department of Cultural Affairs, Sri Lanka
- Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau — Ambalangoda
Content is summarised from the sources above for educational purposes. LANKA. is an independent publication.
