Culture of Sri Lanka

Culture of Sri Lanka
Unique and very rich

Culture of Sri lanka is very unique like it's beautiful places, ancient ruins, weather conditions, etc. Though the Culture of Sri Lanka society is more than 2500 years old, it is really Buddhism that was the most influential civilizing force of the country. People got delimite ideas about what is right and wrong, beneficial results of good deeds in this life itself and vice versa. Lives of the Buddha and his noble disciples had a good impact on the people. People were taught to be sincere, kind, truthful, harmless and to help the downtrodden etc. Buddha’s teachings that emphasized the equality of man and the idea that man is noble not by birth but by his behavior and actions, helped to make the caste system which was prevalent in India so rigid very much less severe here.
Culture is a way of life according to social scientists. Culture differs from one nation or society to another. Customs beliefs, art, architecture, sculptures, music, drama. Languages, social values on one hand and how people live, behave, think, speak, dress, work, eat, drink on the other all join to form a particular culture. Culture could be enriched with the assimilation of certain features of another without loosing the identity of the forever.
Buddhism was one of the influential forces of culture of Sri Lanka

With the introduction of Buddhism, Pali works Tripitaka, Pali literature came to Ceylon and the Sinhala language was supplemented with Pali words without much difficulty for the language spoken by the people here was much similar to Pali. A vast literature in Sinhala derived influenced by Pali tripitaka. Pali commentaries and other literature brought from India and the Pali works were translated into Sinhala. With the growth of Mahayana and vast literature in Sanskrit, place of Pali was taken over Sanskrit and the Sinhala language.Really became a mixture of Pali and Sanskrit languages Sanskrit literary works as Meghaduta, Ramayana, Maharasrata were studied and their structure was followed in Sinhala prose and verse.

Aryans when they came to Ceylon brought the system of farming and irrigation but most probably not a religion nor art, architecture, sculpture, literature etc. All these were introduced with the advent of Buddhism. Monasteries and temples and other religious edifies were built first of stone and later of brick and mortar as residences for the bhikkus huge stupas were constructed to enshrine the scared relic of the Buddha and his noble disciples. These religious edifies were embellished by a rich legacy of sculptural forms. Interior of the Viharas were decorated with images of the Buddha later with Bodhisattvas, various scenes from Buddha’s life. With divinities etc. when you take all these into the account we could say that there Mahinda not only introduced noblest religion in the world but also a culture of a much advanced form. Introduction of Buddhism and arrival of Aryans to Sri Lanka not only helped socially but helped to enhanced culture of Sri Lanka too.

Aryans first introduced the village system government when they arrived in Lanka. According to historical sources, Vijay’s followers established themselves as chiefs of villagers as indicated by the names Anuradhagama à village of Anradha, Upatissagama à village of Upatissa and so on. They chief most probably captured the adjuring villages and set themselves as rulers or rajas of the area. With the introduction of Buddhism these rulers became more humane for they were expected to rule according to the DasaRajaDhamma – 10 kingly virtues (giving, morality, liberality, straightness, gentleness, self-restriction, non-anger, non-hurtfulness, forbearance and non-opposition. At the beginning kings were not looked upon as gods but ordinary men go=given the leadership to work for the welfare of the people under him according to Buddhist principles. Thus the main duties of the Rajas were to develop agriculture by building tanks and canals to protect the people and lands from foreign invaders, plunderers, robbers etc. and also to protect the religion and build religious edifies and grant land for their upkeep.

Thus Ceylon had a culture based on self-sufficiency. There was actually the barter system prevailing in ancient Lanka. Only the kings could trade with foreigners and transact money. Farmer gave some of his products to the villages potter, smithy, traders on cloths, fancy goods etc. in exchange for pots & pans mammoth blades, axes, fancy goods etc. and as such there was no need for the ordinary man to possess money but he and his family had enough for their sustenance unlike people of the contemporary medieval Europe and England where the 8 years, 10 years old worked as slaves in the work, house, in coal mines in stables for a mere pittance..

This culture based on self sufficiency in Lanka as changed into an export – import oriental economy based on export crops as team rubber, coconut, cinchona, cinnamon, canbamousetc. with a damaging influence to sustainable agriculture which declined at a fast rate with the arrival of the Europeans – Rice was exported and the lands were handed over to the Europeans planters for a mere pittance as the farmers could not produce the “so – call deeds” for the land they cultivated for the time immemorial. Thus money became the pivotal factor upon which everything depended. Family relationships, religious practices, ancient customs receded to the background with a new culture based on money.

New resurgence of former cultural traits is to be seen with the gaining of independence in 1948 and the emergence of national heroes as Walisinghe Harischandra, Angarika Dhrmapala, More and more people became aware of their past cultured heritage and began to take a new interest in ancient customs, classical music, dancing etc. which were fast disappearing features of our cultural heritage. One of the most important is the pride of place given to the sheaf of betel or the “bulath hurulla” This had been an important item in religious and marriage ceremonies, functions, festivals etc. Parents, teachers elders are respected with a shelf of betal at Sinhala New year times and at important functions. This has a power of healing differences among parents and children, relations etc. With betal comes habit of our people having the quid of betal of course with certain other ingredients as obecanuts, bit of chunam, camphor, cardamons, nutmeg, mance, etc. it is said that ours kings had a special officer to prepare the squid of betal for him. In our ancient residences the tray of betal with a spittoon nearby (to empty the reddish saliva from the mouth) could be seen which had gone out of fashion today. Even the upper class ladies of yore had the habit of chewing the quid of betal while gossiping or at leisure or playing indoor games. It is said that in India this habit of chewing the quid of betal is not looked up on down but it is fast disappearing from our society instead the poisonus cigarette has taken its place.

Various types of folk art which should get the pride of place seems to be fading away. One such is the various types of decorations made with the young coconut fronds – gokkola- which is endemic to Sri Lanka for it comes from the coconut tree, At folk – dancing, devil dancing ceremonies, Bali performances, Pirith ceremonies, weddings, funeral & decorations done with gokkola are given prominence in rural areas. Special pavilion made for the Pirit ceremony, Poruwa at a wedding for the couple to stand on, Punkalasa (symbolof propriety) etc. decorated with gokkola are slowly dying away giving place to artificial decorations.
New Year Customs and traditions are key features in culture of Sri Lanka

One noteworthy feature of Sri Lanka culture are the New year Customs and traditions commending with looking at the moon for the old year and bathing, observing the new moon for the new year, lighting the hearth, partaking the first meal for the new year and anointing oil on the head all done with punctuality. Children, relations from afar joining the parent’s ands elders refreshing their relationships. New year is a good period to revive the folk games as panchi damima (game with cousry shells), eluvan gamine (Children game) depicting a flock of goats protected by the gathered but the tiger comes and manages to seize a goat), going in the swing reciting folk songs etc..

Well developed system of music seems to have prevailed from pre Aryan times. On the day that Vijaya spend the night with Kuveni in Tambapanni, he heard the sound of music and dancing and inquired form from Kuveni about it, according to Mahawansa (CH VII 30) there were the folk music Jana gi intervened by Buddhist environment and largely based on day to day activities as agriculture, various occupations etc. These verses were recited at various stages in farming – goyan kavi, nelum kavi time – when engaged in heavy work, workersused to recite form lines verses or sivu pada – quatrains – when climbing a mountain with a heavy load in the double bullock cart when working inside a plambago mine etc. There are other types of songs sing during children’s games too.
Important feature of our rural culture of Sri Lanka was the ritual theatre that existed from the pre Buddhist era

Rural drama music is associated with the ritual performances coming down from the ancient times.

Important feature of our rural culture was the ritual theatre that existed from the pre Buddhist era. It is not a really a theatre in the modern sense of the their but only a temporary shed or a platform or an open space like the thrashing floor. These were connected with agriculture purists, diseases and distress caused by divinities, planetary deities, demons, spirits etc. bali performance with the use of images each representing a planetary deity, devil dancing to propitiate the god Kohomba Sokari too is a Kandyan performance connected with the pattini cult. Kolam is a dance ferna performed using a number of masks.

Another folk drama of much recent development is Nada am which is really Tamil origin and sponsored by the Catholic Missionaries is a dramatic form. These became very popular in the Western and coastal areas. Nada am was later discovered and noted as a form of theatrical source by our scholars. First drama of the Nadagam style was developed by Dr. E R Sarachandra using Buddhist Pataka stories and historical events. Two of these are the Maname and Sinhabahu.

Hindustani classical music was followed in the aftermath of the visit of R Tagor to Sri Lanka and many music lovers went to India to study music. Mostly the Tamil community follows South Indian Karnataka music. Music for earlier Sinhala films was copied from Indian film songs. Sir Lester James’ Rekhava was the first Sinhala film produced with Sri Lankan music – those who went to India to learn music after coming back composed light music in Sinhala. Ananda Samarakoon, Sunil Shantha is two distinguished pioneers who did not stick to Hindustani music and developed music in Sinhala on their own.

Western music became quite popular with the English speaking class and piano music became well liked by the young girls of the English speaking homes. Later it became popular with the upper and lower middle class families. Too.

Three types of classical dance forms in Sri Lanka today.

Kandy dancing

Ruhunu or Low country dancing

Sabaragamuwa dancing

These differ in their style of dancing, movements, consumes of the dances and the drums used. Gate bera is used in Kandyan dancing, Yak bere in the low country dancing and Davula in Sabaragamuwa dancing, low country dancing wear masks and today Kandyan dancing has become world famous.

Like architecture and sculptures are and painting had come a long was from ancient times. Though rich legacy of ancient art and painting has come down culminating in the Sigiriya fortress of the (5 AD and there is little evidence of the earlier period. After Sigiriya murals oif Tivanka image house at Polonnaruwa are the noteworthy example of paintings found belonging to the 12 AD Painting of Dambadeniya, Yapahuwa and Kotte periods have been lost.


Paintings of the Kandy period are found in many a temples today. Early (20 paintings and the indemnity of the (20 painter could be seen in the drawing and paintings in the present day Buddhist Viharas such as Kelaniya raja Maha Viharaya and Gotami Viharaya former by Sollius Mendis and the latter by George Keyt. It is said that Sollius Mendis prepared his paint by using natural substances as stones, clay, leaves, herbs, barks of tress etc.

Embekke Devalaya, Kandy

Embekke Devalaya, Kandy is a wooden temple situated in the Ambakka village, three kilometers from the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. It was built in the 14th century by King Wickremabahu III. Adajacent to the main temple in the Embekke Devalaya, Kandy is a digge and inside the temple there is a courtyard where originally the hewisi were played. There are many legends which tell how the 'devale' or the 'devalaya' came into existence.

It is the popular belief that one of the king's consorts named Henakanda Biso Bandara, in association with a drummer named as Rangama were the founders of the devale. They had a dream in which Lord Kataragama appeared and therefore this three-storied temple is dedicated to the Lord Kataragama. In the recent years the Embekke Devalaya has become one of the popular tourist destinations in Kandy because of its exquisite architecture.

Embekke Devalaya, Kandy comprises carved wooden pillars with engravings of swans, lions, bulls, elephants and other such animals. On these pillars you will often find motifs like leafs, flowers, soldiers, dancing women and even mermaids. There are a total of 128 carvings on these pillars. Most of these carvings are presumably the work of the ancient artisan, Devendra Mulachari. 16 wooden pillars adorn the entrance of the Embekke Devalaya in Kandy.

The digge inside the Embekke Devalaya, Kandy is 52 feet, 10 inches long and 25 feet, 9 inches wide. Thirty two square shaped pillars guard it. The types of wood used for building this structure are

   

    * -Na
    * -Ginisapu
    * -Pihibiya.
    * -Gammalu


The wooden pillars inside the digge usually have a stone base. UNESCO has accredited the site as the abode of rare specimens of fine wooden carvings in the world.

Apart from the pillars the other striking feature of the temple is the roof which has only one central beam. 26 smaller rafters are fixed to the roof to support it. Long wooden nails which resemble the spokes in a cart wheel have been used extensively to put the roof together. The main temple is 28 feet long, 23 feet and 7 inches wide and is a two-storied building. A verandah surrounds the building along its three sides. Tourist will get to see 125 series of decorations, 256 liyawel, 64 lotus designs in Pekada, 30 decorative patterns on timber and many more such artistic instances. There is an image house in the Embekke Devalaya, Kandy too, known as vahalkada. The resting place or the ambalama and a throne are situated outside the temple premises but are part of the structure.

Aukana

Aukana


Some 30km northwest of Golden Dambulla Rock Temple, the village of Aukana located close to the large ancient Kala Wewa rainwater reservoir, is home to the most perfectly preserved ancient statue in Sri Lanka. The perfect & elegant 12m-high standing Buddha is adored all over the island to such an extent, that several full scale copies have been erected in the island: Colombo, Dondra, Ratnapura, and Trincomalee. The statue was erected in the same period as those at Polonnaruwa's Gal Vihara & Lankatilaka Vihara as well as Buduruwagala & Maligawila all of which emphasis on Buddha's superhuman, transcendal powers.

Bless you
Unlike other great statues in the island which are carved in "Abhaya Mudra" (Have no fear), the Aukana statue is in the "Asisa Mudra", the blessing position, with the right hand turned sideways to the viewer. The figure is carved in the round, narrowly connected at the rear to the rock.

The perfect Buddha statue
Carved out of the living rock with supreme assurance, Aukana Buddha is a magnificent image. His expression is serene & from his curled hair there sprouts the flame called siraspata signifying the power of supreme enlightenment. Although the statue is large & stands straight up with feet firmly planted on the lotus stone pedestal, the body retains a graceful quality enhanced by beautifully flowing drapery clinging to the body.

The tallest Buddha statue in the world
The magnificent free-standing statue carved out of a single rock is the tallest Buddha statue in existence today. Following the destruction of similar but much larger statues at Bamiyan in Afghanistan, the Aukana Buddha has gained even greater significance in the Buddhist World.

The whole of cultured world was horrified at the savagery & barbarity inflicted upon the colossal Bamian Buddha statues carved from the cliffs that dominate the dusty plains in the heart of Hindu Kush which have watched serenely for 15 centuries as the fortunes of the city beneath them waned from Silk Road metropolis to remote Afghan backwater.

In honour of the destroyed & in defiance of intolerant, China quietly goes with its own form of defiance: in their territory, carving, sculpting, erecting two statues similar in every conceivable way, to the two Buddha Statues destroyed by Taliban. In the ancient times Bamiyan, the region where Mahayana Buddhism originated, was known as Vokkana or Avakana. Do we have a clue to the name Aukana? In Sinhalese there is no such word as Aukana meaning sun eating as erroneously proclaimed.

Best time to see
The best time to see the magnificent statue is at the crack of dawn when the first rays of sun light up the east-facing statue's finely carved features.

wine

 Cyprus was the first Mediterranean country to produce wine more than 5,500 years ago and since then wine and wine making has an intrinsic part of Cypriot life ever since. Many families run their own wineries and at this time of the year, more than 25% of the population is involved with the grape harvest. Even though there are 50 wineries in Cyprus today, Cypriot wines are little known abroad, but the Limassol-based Wine Products Council is trying to change the image of Cypriot wines with wine connoisseurs worldwide and to raise the profile other wines in the European market.

The Wine Products Council (WPC) is an independent semi-government organization that was founded fifty years ago and has become increasingly important since Cyprus joined the European Union in January 2004. The Wine Product Council has several roles in Cyprus. The Council implements both EU legislation regarding wine production and the policy of the Cypriot government and advises local wine makers on new techniques and grape varieties that are suitable for cultivating in Cyprus and encourages them to produce top quality wines. The WPC also helps wine makers to promote and advertise their products effectively both on the home market and in the European market place.

The cornerstone for the success of the Cyprus wines is quality because they can never be as competitively priced as other wines simply because the number of bottles produced by each wine company is much smaller than the numbers produced by its European, Chilean and South African competitors. Historically, Cypriot wines were produced and sold in bulk abroad so consequently they were characterless and inconsistent in quality. Since 2004 however, the export of bulk Cypriot wines has dropped dramatically and winemakers have worked extremely hard to bring production methods in line with EU regulations, to stabilize the quality of their products and to develop unique characters for their wines. in many cases, this has been achieved by blending traditional indigenous grape varieties with imported varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Blanche, Chardonnay and Riesling which are all grown successfully in Cyprus. The results have been impressive. As well as developing the overseas wine market, members of the WPC have nurtured the home market and today’s trend is that 60% of Cypriots now regularly enjoy a bottle of wine.

Members of the Wine Products Council knew that they had to help local winemakers to get their wines right for the European market – and to ensure a consistent quality and that the best way to achieve this was by specifying the areas that could successfully produce the different wines. In turn this has led lead to a natural upgrading of all the wine types. This was achieved because the limitations of each area were fully researched and fully appreciated. Vines of certain varieties can now only be grown in certain areas, where they flourish and the best possible quality grapes can be cultivated.

With the help of various schemes - including financial assistance provided by the European Union - winemakers have been able to abandon the use of certain grape varieties that were not doing well in their particular area, adjust their production methods and convert to other grape varieties. A legal framework is now in place which monitors and regulates the production of new wines in these designated areas. These changes have led to the production of some new, exciting and really good wines in the different regions. The Cyprus government has given winemakers its full support in marketing these wines effectively with increasing success.

Local wine producers are striving for quality and are trying to be more competitive. The introduction of the annual Cyprus Wine Competition three years ago has sparked friendly rivalry between the wineries and almost every wine producer eagerly takes part in the competition. The major incentive is that wines are awarded medals and their producer can display the special ‘medal winner’ sticker on their wine labels. The organizers have been delighted with the success of the event and the interest generated in both the international and local press and the event has certainly raised the profile of local wines in the public eye. The Cyprus Wine Competition is gaining increasing recognition and the organizers hope that in years to come it will be as internationally recognized as the Thessaloniki wine competition, where several Cypriot wine producers also did particularly well again this year.

Certainly, there have been many challenges for Cypriot winemakers since the country joined the European Union, but thanks to the hard work and enthusiasm of many, Cyprus wines are enjoying increasing popularity as wine lovers across Europe discover their quality and special character.

5 s

There are 5 primary phases of 5S: sorting, straightening, systematic cleaning, standardizing, and sustaining. Additionally, there is an additional phase, safety, that is sometimes included.
Sorting (Seiri)

Eliminate all unnecessary tools, parts, instructions. Go through all tools, materials, etc., in the plant and work area. Keep only essential items. Everything else is stored or discarded.
Straightening or Setting in Order (Seiton)

There should be a place for everything and everything should be in its place. The place for each item should be clearly labeled or demarcated. Items should be arranged in a manner that promotes efficient work flow. Workers should not have to repetitively bend to access materials. Each tool, part, supply, piece of equipment, etc. should be kept close to where it will be used (i.e. straighten the flow path). Seiton is one of the features that distinguishes 5S from "standardized cleanup". This phase can also be referred to as Simplifying.
Sweeping or Shining or Cleanliness / Systematic Cleaning (Seiso)

Keep the workplace tidy and organized. At the end of each shift, clean the work area and be sure everything is restored to its place. This makes it easy to know what goes where and ensures that everything is where it belongs. A key point is that maintaining cleanliness should be part of the daily work - not an occasional activity initiated when things get too messy.
Standardizing (Seiketsu)

Work practices should be consistent and standardized. Everyone should know exactly what his or her responsibilities are for adhering to the first 3 S's.
Sustaining the discipline (Shitsuke)

Maintain and review standards. Once the previous 4 S's have been established, they become the new way to operate. Maintain focus on this new way and do not allow a gradual decline back to the old ways. While thinking about the new way, also be thinking about yet better ways. When an issue arises such as a suggested improvement, a new way of working, a new tool or a new output requirement, review the first 4 S's and make changes as appropriate.
Safety

A sixth phase, "Safety", is sometimes added. It is reasonable to assume that a properly planned and executed 5S program will inherently improve workplace safety, but some argue that explicitly including this sixth S ensures that workplace safety is given at least a senary consideration.'

It is important to have continuous education about maintaining standards. When there are changes that affect the 5S program such as new equipment, new products or new work rules, it is essential to make changes in the standards and provide training. Companies embracing 5S often use posters and signs as a way of educating employees and maintaining standards.

"Daha Ata Sanniya"

The "Daha Ata Sanniya" is a traditional dance ritual held to exorcise 18 types of diseases from the human body. Though an extremely colourful and vibrant pageant, most Sri Lankans do not get the chance of witnessing it, due to the performance's exorbitant costs and the long duration.Justify Full
The origin of this Shanthi Karmaya (blessing) took place in the times of ancient kings and was performed in the southern and western parts of the country. According to the story, while King Sankapala was at war, his wife who was pregnant had a sudden craving for a certain variety of mango. As she ate it, her maid of honour too had wanted a piece of the fruit, but had been refused by the Queen. Angry at this refusal, the maid cursed her and when the King returned after the war, told him that the Queen had conceived out of wedlock. The story was believed and the Queen was sliced in two with a sword. The baby was born and ate off his mother and so, a devil was born. As the story goes, lead by this devil, 18 other devils were created and they in turn came to towns and cities and began to spread in the form of diseases. It is to counter this type of sickness that the Daha Ata Sanniya originated.

'Daha Ata Sanniya" will be performed in two sections where the first part will consist of seven palis, while the second part will be performed as the 18 sannis.

The mask known as Dahaata Sanniya or ‘eighteen disease’ is studded with 18 diseased faces atop a pair of their gods and two spirits one the spreader of pain through disease and other the saviour is placed vertically apart. Prof. M.H. Goonatilleka explained that in folk religion this is in vogue. He explained that "Pritiatory magical and therapeutic effects of mask and attendant rituals of Sri Lanka are still not forgotten in the remote parts of the country. The dancer donning demon masks may not be aware of the significance of ritual transformation and the assumption of the role of the disease-causing demon."

Those eighteen masks are:

01. Buta Sanniya which is associated with derangement, distortion and listlesness of limbs;
02. Jala Sanniya relates with vomitting, dysentry etc;
03. Gulma sannya refers to lack of appetite, swelling of the abdomen ;
04. Kana Sanniya relates with blindness;
05. Kora Sanniya and
06. Bihiri Sanniya relate with Lameness and Deafness respectively;
07. Vata Sanniya is related with Flatulence provoked by aerial humour;
08. Slesma Sannya is associated with Phlegmatic diseases;
09. Pneumonia is represented with mask Kola Sanniya;
10. Maru Sanniya is wallowing and contortions in the eyes etc.
11. Amukku Sanniya relates with running with the head tilted to the left trembling of the limbs;
12. Golu is Dumbness;
13. Vevulum Sanniya is associated with shivering and feats;
14. Gini Jala Sanniya is about burning sensation,headache and fatigue;
15. Pissu or Kapala Sanniya is related with madness and delirium;
16. Demala Sanniya is also related with madness with distortion of the body;
17. The Naga Mask is related with swelling of the faces and peeling of skins and
18. Deva Mask is related with epidemics and infectious diseases

udarata netum

"Ves" dance, the most popular, originated from an ancient purification ritual, the Kohomba Yakuma or Kohomba Kankariya. The dance was propitiatory, never secular, and performed only by males. The elaborate ves costume, particularly the headgear, is considered sacred and is believed to belong to the deity Kohomba.

Only toward the end of the nineteenth century were ves dancers first invited to perform outside the precincts of the Kankariya Temple at the annual Kandy Perahera festival. Today the elaborately costumed ves dancer epitomizes Kandyan dance.
Naiyandi dance

Dancers in Naiyandi costume perform during the initial preparations of the Kohomba Kankariya festival, during the lighting of the lamps and the preparation of foods for the demons. The dancer wears a white cloth and white rurban, beadwork decorations on his chest, a waistband, rows of beads around his neck, silver chains, brass shoulder plates, anklets, and jingles. This is a graceful dance, also performed in Maha Visnu (Vishnu) and Kataragama Devales temples on ceremonial occasions.
Uddekki dance

Uddekki is a very prestigious dance. Its name comes from the uddekki, a small lacquered hand drum in the shape of an hourglass, about seven and half inches (18 centimeters) high, believed to have been given to people by the gods. The two drumskins are believed to have been given by the god Iswara, and the sound by Visnu; the instrument is said to have been constructed according to the instructions of Sakra and was played in the heavenly palace of the gods. It is a very difficult instruments to play. The dancer sings as he plays, tightening the strings to obtain variations of pitch.
Pantheru dance

The pantheruwa is an instrument dedicated to the goddess Pattini. It resembles a tambourine (without the skin) and has small cymbals attached at intervals around its circumference. The dance is said to have originated in the days of Prince Siddhartha, who became Buddha. The gods were believed to use this instrument to celebrate victories in war, and Sinhala kings employed pantheru dancers to celebrate victories in the battlefield. The costume is similar to that of the uddekki dancer, but the pantheru dancer wears no beaded jacket and substitutes a silk handkerchief at the waist for the elaborate frills of the uddekki dancer.
Vannams

The word "vannam" comes from the Sinhala word "varnana" (descriptive praise). Ancient Sinhala texts refer to a considerable number of "vannams" that were only sung; later they were adapted to solo dances, each expressing a dominant idea. History reveals that the Kandyan king Sri Weeraparakrama Narendrasinghe gave considerable encouragement to dance and music. In this Kavikara Maduwa (a decorated dance arena) there were song and poetry contests.

It is said that the kavi (poetry sung to music) for the eighteen principal vannams were composed by an old sage named Ganithalankara, with the help of a Buddhist priest from the Kandy temple. The vannams were inspired by nature, history, legend, folk religion, folk art, and sacred lore, and each is composed and iterpreted in a certain mood (rasaya) or expression of sentiment. The eighteen classical vannams are gajaga ("elephant"), thuranga ("hourse") , mayura ("peacock"), gahaka ("conch shell"), uranga ("crawling animals"), mussaladi ("hare"), ukkussa ("eagle"), vyrodi ("precious stone"), hanuma ("monkey"), savula ("cock"), sinharaja ("lion"), naga ("cobra"), kirala ("red-wattled lapwing"), eeradi ("arrow"), Surapathi (in praise of the goddess Surapathi), Ganapathi (in praise of the god Ganapathi), uduhara (expressing the pomp and majesty of the king), and assadhrusa (extolling the merit of Buddha). To these were added samanala ("Butterfly"),bo (the sacred bo tree at Anuradhapura, a sapling of the original bo tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment), and hansa vannama ("swan"). The vannama dance tradition has seven components.

Pahatha rata netum

The "Devil Dances" are an attempt to respond to the common belief that certain ailments are caused by unseen hands and that they should be chased away for the patient to get cured. If an individual or a family is not doing well, the village-folk believe that it's because that person or the family is being harassed by unseen hands. A 'thovil' ceremony is the answer.[1]

The 'thovil' can be a simple ritualistic ceremony at home restricted to family and immediate neighbours or involving the whole village like the 'gam-maduva' or the 'devol-maduva' which is closely linked to the worship of gods. Masked dancers take part in at least two of the well-known 'thovil' ceremonies referred to as the 'Maha Sohon Samayama' and the 'Gara Yakuma'. The mention of 'Maha Sohona' frightens the people since he is believed to be the demon of the graveyards.

The performer disguises himself as a bear and wears a mask and a dress to resemble one. Often the 'thovil' involves the 'sanni' dances where all the dancers wear masks. The 'daha ata sanniya' refers to sixteen ailments with a demon being responsible for each one of them.

Dancers wearing masks take part in processions while at certain ceremonies, masks are used to depict different characters. Of later origin are the masks worn by children and teenagers at street performances during Vesak. Popularly known as 'olu bakko' for the simple reason that oversize masks are worn, these performances keep the younger-folk, in particular, entertained.
Folk dances

Apart from the classical dance forms there are also folk dances, which are associated with folk activities and festivities. Leekeli (stick dance), Kalageldi (pot dance) and Raban (a hand drum) folk dances prevalent at the present time.
Dance drama

There is also in the low country a dance-drama called Kolam in which the performers wear masks depicting animals or people such as kings or high officials, and provides amusement and social satire. It has been suggested by scholars that Kolam may have developed from the ritual known as Sanni Yakuma and had later become a dance-drama independent of ritual elements.
Dances today and then

The classical dance forms are associated with performance of various rituals and ceremonies which are centuries old and are based on folk religion and folk beliefs going back to before the advent and of Buddhism and its acceptance by the Sinhalese people in the third century B.C. These rituals and ceremonies reflect the values, beliefs and customs of an agricultural civilisation.

The pre-Buddhistic folk religion consisted of the belief in a variety of deities and demons who were supposed to be capable of awarding benefits and blessings but also causing afflictions and diseases. Accordingly they had to be either propitiated or exorcised with offerings and the performance of rituals and ceremonies.

The repertoire of Dances in Kandyan dancing has its origins in the ritual known as the Kohomba Kankariya, which is performed to propitiate the deity known as Kohomba for the purpose of obtaining relief from personal afflictions or from communal calamities such as pestilence. Although this ritual is rarely performed at the present the various dances associated with its performance could be seen in the Kandy Perahera, and annual religion-cultural event which takes place in the city of Kandy in honour of the sacred tooth-relic of the Buddha housed in the Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth.

The repertoire of Ruhunu dancing has its origins in the rituals of the Devol Maduwa - used to propitiate the Deity/demon Devol - and in exorcistic rituals known as the Rata Yakuma and the Sanni Yakuma - associated with various demons who are supposed to cause a variety of afflictions and incurable illnesses.

Saparagamu dancing is associated with the ritual known as the Gam Maduwa, which is performed to propitiate the goddess Pattini. The purpose is to obtain a good harvest or to ward off evil or to be rid of and infectious disease.

Dances in Sri Lanka

The origin of the dances of Sri Lanka lies with the indigenous people  of Sri Lanka, The dance call 'Thelme' was from King 'Rawana' over 5000 years ago. According to a Sinhalese legend, Kandyan dances originate, 2500 years ago, from a magic ritual that broke the spell on a bewitched king. An ancient chronicle, the Mahavamsa, states that when the Vijaya landed in Sri Lanka in 543 BCE, he heard the sounds of music and dancing from a wedding ceremony. (This vijaya is an invader from northern India and he had captured an area called 'Thammanna' of Sri Lanka. But after some times later those area recaptured by 'Pandukabhaya' who was from real owners of the country (Yak, Rakus [this rakus meant Rak + Kus > cultivators)

Classical Dances

There are three main styles of Sri Lankan classical dance:

    * The Kandyan dances of the Hill Country, known as Uda Rata Natum;
    * The low country dances of the southern plains, known as Pahatha Rata Natum;
    * Sabaragamuwa dances, or Sabaragamuwa Natum.

Kandyan dance takes its name from Kandy, the last royal capital of Sri Lanka, which is situated about 120 kilometers from the modern capital at Colombo. This genre is today considered the classical dance of Sri Lanka. In Sanskrit terminology it is considered pure dance (nrtta); it features a highly developed system of "tala" (rhythm), provided by cymbals called "thalampataa". There are five distinct types; the ves, naiyandi, uddekki, pantheru, and vannams.

The three classical dance forms differ in their styles of body-movements and gestures, in the costumes worn by the performers, and in the shape and size of the drums use to provide rhythmic sound patterns to accompany the dancing.

The drum used in Kandyan dancing is known as the Geta Bera, the drum in Ruhunu dancing as the "Yak Bera", and drum in Sabaragamu dancing as the "Davula" (the word Bera or Bereya in Sinhale means "Drum") The Geta Bera is beaten with the hands as is also Yak Bera, while the Davula is played with a stick on one side and with one hand on the other side; the Geta Bera has a body which tapers on both sides while the Yak Bera and the Davula both have cylindrical bodies.

The main distinguishing feature between Kandyan and Saparagamu dancing, and Ruhunu dancing, is that Ruhunu dancers wear masks.by jerry oke

Culture of Sri Lanka

Culture of Sri Lanka
Unique and very rich

Culture of Sri lanka is very unique like it's beautiful places, ancient ruins, weather conditions, etc. Though the Culture of Sri Lanka society is more than 2500 years old, it is really Buddhism that was the most influential civilising force of the country. People got delimite ideas about what is right and wrong, beneficial results of good deeds in this life itself and vice versa. Lives of the Buddha and his noble disciples had a good impact on the people. People were taught to be sincere, kind, truthful, harmless and to help the downtrodden etc. Buddha’s teachings that emphasised the equality of man and the idea that man is noble not by birth but by his behaviour and actions, helped to make the caste system which was prevalent in India so rigid very much less severe here.
Culture is a way of life according to social scientists. Culture differs from one nation or society to another. Customs beliefs, art, architecture, sculptures, music, drama. Languages, social values on one hand and how people live, behave, think, speak, dress, work, eat, drink on the other all join to form a particular culture. Culture could be enriched with the assimilation of certain features of another without loosing the identity of the forever.
Buddhism was one of the influential forces of culture of Sri Lanka

With the introduction of Buddhism, Pali works Tripitaka, Pali literature came to Ceylon and the Sinhala language was supplemented with Pali words without much difficulty for the language spoken by the people here was much similar to Pali. A vast literature in Sinhala derived influenced by Pali tripitaka. Pali commentaries and other literature brought from India and the Pali works were translated into Sinhala. With the growth of Mahayana and vast literature in Sanskrit, place of Pali was taken over Sanskrit and the Sinhala language.Really became a mixture of Pali and Sanskrit languages Sanskrit literary works as Meghaduta, Ramayana, Maharasrata were studied and their structure was followed in Sinhala prose and verse.

Aryans when they came to Ceylon brought the system of farming and irrigation but most probably not a religion nor art, architecture, sculpture, literature etc. All these were introduced with the advent of Buddhism. Monasteries and temples and other religious edifies were built first of stone and later of brick and mortar as residences for the bhikkus huge stupas were constructed to enshrine the scared relic of the Buddha and his noble disciples. These religious edifies were embellished by a rich legacy of sculptural forms. Interior of the Viharas were decorated with images of the Buddha later with Bodhisattvas, various scenes from Buddha’s life. With divinities etc. when you take all these into the account we could say that there Mahinda not only introduced noblest religion in the world but also a culture of a much advanced form. Introduction of Buddhism and arrival of Aryans to Sri Lanka not only helped socially but helped to enhanced culture of Sri Lanka too.

Aryans first introduced the village system government when they arrived in Lanka. According to historical sources, Vijay’s followers established themselves as chiefs of villagers as indicated by the names Anuradhagama à village of Anradha, Upatissagama à village of Upatissa and so on. They chief most probably captured the adjuring villages and set themselves as rulers or rajas of the area. With the introduction of Buddhism these rulers became more humane for they were expected to rule according to the DasaRajaDhamma – 10 kingly virtues (giving, morality, liberality, straightness, gentleness, self-restriction, non-anger, non-hurtfulness, forbearance and non-opposition. At the beginning kings were not looked upon as gods but ordinary men go=given the leadership to work for the welfare of the people under him according to Buddhist principles. Thus the main duties of the Rajas were to develop agricultures by building tanks and canals to protect the people and lands from foreign invaders, plunderers, robbers etc. and also to protect the religion and build religious edifies and grant land for their upkeep.

Thus Ceylon had a culture based on self-sufficiency. There was actually the barter system prevailing in ancient Lanka. Only the kings could trade with foreigners and transact money. Farmer gave some of his products to the villages potter, smithy, traders on cloths, fancy goods etc. in exchange for pots & pans mammoth blades, axes, fancy goods etc. and as such there was no need for the ordinary man to possess money but he and his family had enough for their sustenance unlike people of the contemporary medieval Europe and England where the 8 years, 10 years old worked as slaves in the work, house, in coal mines in stables for a mere pittance..

This culture based on self sufficiency in Lanka as changed into an export – import oriental economy based on export crops as team rubber, coconut, cinchona, cinnamon, canbamousetc. with a damaging influence to sustainable agriculture which declined at a fast rate with the arrival of the Europeans – Rice was exported and the lands were handed over to the Europeans planters for a mere pittance as the farmers could not produce the “so – call deeds” for the land they cultivated for the time immemorial. Thus money became the pivotal factor upon which everything depended. Family relationships, religious practices, ancient customs receded to the background with a new culture based on money.

New resurgence of former cultural traits is to be seen with the gaining of independence in 1948 and the emergence of national heroes as Walisinghe Harischandra, Angarika Dhrmapala, More and more people became aware of their past cultured heritage and began to take a new interest in ancient customs, classical music, dancing etc. which were fast disappearing features of our cultural heritage. One of the most important is the pride of place given to the sheaf of betel or the “bulath hurulla” This had been an important item in religious and marriage ceremonies, functions, festivals etc. Parents, teachers elders are respected with a shelf of betal at Sinhala New year times and at important functions. This has a power of healing differences among parents and children, relations etc. With betal comes habit of our people having the quid of betal of course with certain other ingredients as obecanuts, bit of chunam, camphor, cardamons, nutmeg, mance, etc. it is said that ours kings had a special officer to prepare the squid of betal for him. In our ancient residences the tray of betal with a spittoon nearby (to empty the reddish saliva from the mouth) could be seen which had gone out of fashion today. Even the upper class ladies of yore had the habit of chewing the quid of betal while gossiping or at leisure or playing indoor games. It is said that in India this habit of chewing the quid of betal is not looked up on down but it is fast disappearing from our society instead the poisonus cigarette has taken its place.

Various types of folk art which should get the pride of place seems to be fading away. One such is the various types of decorations made with the young coconut fronds – gokkola- which is endemic to Sri Lanka for it comes from the coconut tree, At folk – dancing, devil dancing ceremonies, Bali performances, Pirith ceremonies, weddings, funeral & decorations done with gokkola are given prominence in rural areas. Special pavilion made for the Pirit ceremony, Poruwa at a wedding for the couple to stand on, Punkalasa (symbolof propriety) etc. decorated with gokkola are slowly dying away giving place to artificial decorations.
New Year Customs and traditions are key features in culture of Sri Lanka

One noteworthy feature of Sri Lanka culture are the New year Customs and traditions commending with looking at the moon for the old year and bathing, observing the new moon for the new year, lighting the hearth, partaking the first meal for the new year and anointing oil on the head all done with punctuality. Children, relations from afar joining the parent’s ands elders refreshing their relationships. New year is a good period to revive the folk games as panchi damima (game with cousry shells), eluvan gamine (Children game) depicting a flock of goats protected by the gathered but the tiger comes and manages to seize a goat), going in the swing reciting folk songs etc..

Well developed system of music seems to have prevailed from pre Aryan times. On the day that Vijaya spend the night with Kuveni in Tambapanni, he heard the sound of music and dancing and inquired form from Kuveni about it, according to Mahawansa (CH VII 30) there were the folk music Jana gi intervened by Buddhist environment and largely based on day to day activities as agriculture, various occupations etc. These verses were recited at various stages in farming – goyan kavi, nelum kavi time – when engaged in heavy work, workersused to recite form lines verses or sivu pada – quatrains – when climbing a mountain with a heavy load in the double bullock cart when working inside a plambago mine etc. There are other types of songs sing during children’s games too.
Important feature of our rural culture of Sri Lanka was the ritual theatre that existed from the pre Buddhist era

Rural drama music is associated with the ritual performances coming down from the ancient times.

Important feature of our rural culture was the ritual theatre that existed from the pre Buddhist era. It is not a really a theatre in the modern sense of the their but only a temporary shed or a platform or an open space like the thrashing floor. These were connected with agriculture purists, diseases and distress caused by divinities, planetary deities, demons, spirits etc. bali performance with the use of images each representing a planetary deity, devil dancing to propitiate the god Kohomba Sokari too is a Kandyan performance connected with the pattini cult. Kolam is a dance ferna performed using a number of masks.

Another folk drama of much recent development is Nada am which is really Tamil origin and sponsored by the Catholic Missionaries is a dramatic form. These became very popular in the Western and coastal areas. Nada am was later discovered and noted as a form of theatrical source by our scholars. First drama of the Nadagam style was developed by Dr. E R Sarachandra using Buddhist Pataka stories and historical events. Two of these are the Maname and Sinhabahu.

Hindustani classical music was followed in the aftermath of the visit of R Tagor to Sri Lanka and many music lovers went to India to study music. Mostly the Tamil community follows South Indian Karnataka music. Music for earlier Sinhala films was copied from Indian film songs. Sir Lester James’ Rekhava was the first Sinhala film produced with Sri Lankan music – those who went to India to learn music after coming back composed light music in Sinhala. Ananda Samarakoon, Sunil Shantha is two distinguished pioneers who did not stick to Hindustani music and developed music in Sinhala on their own.

Western music became quite popular with the English speaking class and piano music became well liked by the young girls of the English speaking homes. Later it became popular with the upper and lower middle class families. Too.

Three types of classical dance forms in Sri Lanka today.

Kandy dancing

Ruhunu or Low country dancing

Sabaragamuwa dancing

These differ in their style of dancing, movements, consumes of the dances and the drums used. Gate bera is used in Kandyan dancing, Yak bere in the low country dancing and Davula in Sabaragamuwa dancing, low country dancing wear masks and today Kandyan dancing has become world famous.

Like architecture and sculptures are and painting had come a long was from ancient times. Though rich legacy of ancient art and painting has come down culminating in the Sigiriya fortress of the (5 AD and there is little evidence of the earlier period. After Sigiriya murals oif Tivanka image house at Polonnaruwa are the noteworthy example of paintings found belonging to the 12 AD Painting of Dambadeniya, Yapahuwa and Kotte periods have been lost.


Paintings of the Kandy period are found in many a temples today. Early (20 paintings and the indemnity of the (20 painter could be seen in the drawing and paintings in the present day Buddhist Viharas such as Kelaniya raja Maha Viharaya and Gotami Viharaya former by Sollius Mendis and the latter by George Keyt. It is said that Sollius Mendis prepared his paint by using natural substances as stones, clay, leaves, herbs, barks of tress etc.