Sri Lankan Traditional Masks

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When I am talking about Traditional Masks, it is better to tell you something about Ambalangoda. It is a well known city for mask making industry which is located at South Western coastal belt of Sri Lanka. It is really amazing art & culture. 

There was a ancient story behind the mask making industry. Today, masks are used for various rituals & dance performances. According to ancient believes, it also use to cure sicknesses. 

In mask making industry they used " Rukkattana " and " Diyakandura " as a timber because it must be a light and durable timber. Those trees have that qualities. So that they selected it for their crafts. After making their masks they uses decorative methods for makes its beauty. They used nice colours for that.

There are three types of mask categories in Sri Lanka. They are ;

  • Kolam Mask
  • Sanni Mask
  • Raksha Mask

Kolam Mask



Kolam Masks are used mainly in dramas. Jasaya & Lenchina both are famous masks among the kolom mask. Kolam Masks are used in storytelling performances.

Sanni Mask




These masks are used in curing ceremonies. In ancient times, this healing way used to cure some diseases such as mental diseases, diseases of food digestive system, some temporary diseases like deafness, dumbness, shivering and fits, unbearable cold, headache, wrong actions & etc. People thought all this happens beacause of demon possession. So that they used these type of masks to drive away those bad spirits from human body. There are 18 Sanni Masks. 
  • Deva Sanniya 
  • Vata Sanniya
  • Pith Sanniya
  • Amukku Sanniya
  • Naga Sanniya
  • Ginijala Sanniya
  • Selesma Sanniya
  • Kapala Sanniya
  • Maru Sanniya
  • Kadawata Sanniya
  • Kora Sanniya
  • Buhutu Sanniya
  • Kana Sanniya
  • Jala Sanniya
  • Bihiri Sanniya
  • Golu Sanniya
  • Vevulum Sanniya
  • Gedi Sanniya



Bihiri Sanniya- This mask shows the temporary deafness. In this mask half side was covered with a cobra. They believed cobra as a deaf animal.



Naga Sanniya - This means the vision of the demon causes poison like cobra poison in the body blister, swellings.


Buhuta Sanniya - causes for the temporary madness. 


Deva Sanniya - causes measles, mumps, small pox, typoid fever and cholera

Raksha Mask

This masks also used to perform Raksha dances in Kolam Maduwa. It had a nice legend in Ramayanaya. In ancient time there was a King called "Ravana" who ruled the Sri Lanka. He was a race of devil. Those devil people could able to assume various forms. It is about 24 forms. Among them few were used in Kolam dance. Those are ;
  • Naga Raksha
  • Gara Raksha
  • Mayura Raksha
  • Ginijal Raksha
  • Gurulu Raksha
  • Maru Raksha


Gurulu Raksha


Naga Raksha


Mayura Raksha


Ginijal Raksha


Gara Raksha


Maru Raksha

References :
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