Sri Lanka Traditional Masks

Abigail King writes about her trip to Sri Lanka where she learns how to carve traditional masks. In the process she also learns about the meanings behind them.

We’re in Galle in southern Sri Lanka, a windswept port with old stone ramparts, and years of tradition. If you left the palm trees by the crashing waves and followed a line of twinkling lights, you’d walk through this UNESCO World Heritage Site to reach me, a first time visitor, in a small workshop, learning about traditional masks.

Hand carved wooden masks are a colourful tradition in Sri Lanka. They come in three general forms. To vastly oversimplify, they are: Raksha for dances and festivals, Sanni for healing and Kolam, with character faces, for storytelling and satire.

To learn more about the stories and facts behind the masks click on the link below.