Depicting the age old tradition of crafting masks, the Amabalangoda Mask Museum is located on the southern coast of Sri Lanka allowing travellers a glimpse into the lives and the culture of mask making. A prominent figure who was known as Ariyapala Wijeysooriya Gurunnanse is one of the reasons the mask industry is in function up to date. Ariyapala & Sons’ is currently handled by the fifth generation of the family and those interested in the arts and crafts could get an insight and conduct research by visiting the museum which consists of a workshop as well as a small library. When visiting the southern coastal areas tourists could find accommodation at one of the hotels in Wadduwa such as the renowned Taprobana Wadduwa hotel. The location of such hotels allows guests to go on excursions and tour important places such as the Mask Museum.
Amabalangoda is a town known for the colourful masks, plays and rituals. The process of crafting these masks is not an easy task and requires patience and skills. The traditional masks are made from Kaduru timber and crafted in such way that it brings out expressions of characters in folklore stories. The characters in these folk stories vary from gods to humans, demons and animals. Maname king & queen, Nonchi Akka, Police Kolama are some of the notable characters in these performances. The vibrant coloured masks are used in rituals that are conducted to expel demons causing various diseases and traditional performances known as Kolam Maduwa. However at present due to economical reasons the dance performances are rarely seen and mask carving has developed into a livelihood of few individuals. If you are a lover of arts & crafts a trip to the Ambalangoda Mask Museum is worth the visit and will make you appreciate the skills & the effort put into creating one mask. Before leaving make sure to purchase a souvenir to take back home.
Chandrishan Williams is a travel writer who writes under the pen name, Caleb Falcon. He specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers. Google+
