Mask in Sri Lanka

Designing and making different types of masks is an old tradition of Sri Lanka. The masks or the decorative facial wears are used for different purposes by the local people of Sri Lanka. To tourists in Sri Lanka, these hand crafted masks are very popular items that they prefer to buy as memento of their trip.
The masks that are crafted in Sri Lanka are mainly made from a light wood known as kaduru. Use of this type of wood helps in easy carving of the mask. Kaduru also ensures durability and lightness of the mask. In Sri Lanka, masks are used in dramas, dance performances, for rituals and following ancient beliefs, they were also used for curing illness. It is believed that the masks have healing power that can be used to cure different diseases.
The different types of masks used in Sri Lanka are Kolam mask, Sanni mask and Raksha mask. The Kolam masks are mainly used in dramas and performances in southern parts of Sri Lanka. Popular Kolam masks are Jasaya and Lenchina. Sanni masks are used to treat illness. There are about 18 types of sanni masks used in Sri Lanka. Raksha masks are found as cobra mask, peacock mask, gurula mask etc.

08:50 AM Monday September 13th, 2010

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