AMBALANGODA

Ambalangoda is a coastal town in southern Sri Lanka. Long & continuous stretch of beautiful coast to arrive at the town of Ambalangoda, 86 km (54 miles) from Colombo. The town is famous for its ancient devil masks and devil dancers.

THE STUNING MASKS

The town is famous for masks & puppets. The traditional masks are carved from light Balsa like Kaduru wood (Nux vomica). The wood is smoke dried for a week in preparation. The hand carved & hand painted masks in traditional dance dramas are vibrant & colorful. The colourful & vibrant naga raksha (Cobra demon) mask of the Raksha Kolama (Demon dance), consist of a ferocious face with stuffed, popping & staring eyes, a bloodthirsty carnivorous tongue lolling out of wide mouth armoured & armed to the hilt with set of fanglike teeth, & all topped by a set of cobra hoods.

PUPPETRY IN SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka has inherited an ancient tradition of puppetry. We owe a debt of gratitude to those traditional artistes who have preserved this art form, with much dedication, by preventing it from going into extinction.

It is observed that the Sri Lankan puppeteers have embraced the art of string puppetry [Marionette] and that its practice is centered round Ambalangoda.

MOONSTONE MINES

The village of Meetiyagoda near Ambalangoda is where the moonstone is found concentrated within an acre of land believed to have been blessed by the moon.

The mysterious gem, captivating as a full moon gleaming in the night sky, is considered sacred & has appeared in jewelry for centuries. Some believe that this moving light is evidence of a living spirit that dwells within the gem.

The most sought-after moonstones have a haunting blue sheen, an effect produced by the orthoclase feldspar, which is found almost exclusively in the mines of Sri Lanka.