Sri Lanka has a large variety of traditional handicrafts and tradition of making handicraft is as old as the nation. According to Mahavamsa (The great chronicle) when the Prince Vijaya from India landed in Sri Lanka in the 6th century BC, he met Kuveni spinning cotton. Our ancient kings looked after the craftsmen and encouraged them and it was the main reason for its development.
Ever since the island is known the world over for its handicrafts, gems and cuisines which have drawn millions of tourists from all over the world over the years. It is in a class of its own where its peculiar tourist attractions are concerned.
It has unique handicrafts which are manufactured by applying age-old techniques that have been handed down from generation to generation.
These objects are carved in wood, made in brass and silver, decorated lacquer, hand woven cloth lace, beautiful reed mats, pottery, batik, among others.
History mentions that crafting of these was limited to a section of people who were given royal patronage and were identified as people belonging to a specific caste. There are many castes and one of these was in the business of making artifacts, which are an integral part of Sri Lankan culture.
Sri Lanka, being a country in the tropics where many a colorful facade of nature are omnipresent, continues to attract visitors because of its handicrafts which are quite vibrant and dramatic.
Sri Lanka has a varied heritage for traditional crafts and arts. These products are a result of age-old techniques, indigenous raw materials and the tools of natural handicrafts are fashioned in rural craft centers. It was within these castes that traditional skills were preserved with a high degree of distinct ethnic identity.
Sri Lankan craftsmen have succeeded in combining raw material into modern crafts and produce exquisite products. Sri Lankan handicrafts — which have vivid color combinations that harmoniously combine with nature — are based largely on concurrence with natural raw materials used in historical factors with royal patronage in the past.
Lanka handicrafts include coir goods, Dumbara mat, lacquer ware, Demon masks, batik and brass work.
Coir Goods
Coir goods mats and rags are made of coconut fiber. One of the famous mats is Dumbara in Kandy, which is the center of this highly localized craft.
Lacquer Ware
The boiled down lacquer is applied expertly by fingernail. The lacquer ware is traditionally obtained from insect resin collected from the forest. This range includes walking sticks, bookends, ashtrays, letter-openers and wooden handles.
Demon Masks
These were primarily used in demon propitiation and curative rituals. They make colorful and dramatic décor items.
Batik
The batik are of colorful, dramatic fabrics and designer garments in a wax resist dyeing technique of Indonesian origin but distinctly Sri Lankan design. The batik tradition is based on the cultural tradition of Sri Lanka. There are vivid and colorful styles such as cloth scarves, and wall hangings made in rural areas. Men and women make the batik items in the rural area.
Brass Work
Wrought brassware items are ornamented with fine carving. Some of them include boxes, trays, lampshades, stands, hinges, vases and oil lamps, reed, bamboo, rush and rattan ware, bags, baskets, mats, tablemats and chairs.
Gems and Jewelry
Sri Lanka is also known for its blue sapphire, red rubies, alexandrites, tourmalines, zircons, garnets, moons, amethysts, topaz, among others. These have become popular all over the world. A 400 carat Lankan blue sapphire is the British Crown.
Lankan gems are mined from Ratnapura (City of Gems) although these are found in most parts of the country. In the early days, Sri Lanka was called Ratnadipa, the “Land of Gems”. Mining is done manually where the mined earth called illam is washed in pans in shallow flowing water to detect the precious stones among the pebbles.
Sri Lankan jewelry carries a complete range of head to foot ornaments that includes head and hair ornaments, earrings, chokers, necklaces, rings, bracelets, waist chains and anklets. They are made of gold or silver and very often studded with Sri Lankan gems.
Cuisine
Sri Lankan gourmet’s delight includes boiled rice and curried vegetables, and fish meat laced with spices. It is served for both lunch and some have it for breakfast, too. Curries are usually hot but can be mellowed to suit the palate.
The breakfast table offers a wide variety of dishes. Appa (Hoppers) prepared with rice flour and coconut milk raised with yeast is a kind of flat pancake with crispy edges and a soft center. Sometimes an egg is added to the center to make delicious Bittara Appa (egg hoppers) or the batter is mixed with sweetened scraped coconut to make sweeter hakuru appa (jaggery hoppers).
Kiribath (milk rice) is rice cooked with coconut milk usually served on ceremonial occasions and eaten with Katta Sambol (a mixture of chillies, onions, Maldive fish and lime crusted together) or jaggery. It is sometimes made into big balls with a filling of scraped coconut sweetened with treacle when it is called Imbul Kiribath.
Pittu is rice flour, grated coconut and water mixed to a fine particle size and steamed in a mould. It is eaten with curry or katta sambol. Roti is a type of flat bread made with rice flour, grated coconut and water baked on a flat hot pan and eaten with curry or banana.
Rasa Kevili (Sweetmeats)
A large variety of mouth-watering Sri Lanka sweetmeats is there to choose from. Kevum (oil cakes) is made with a mixture of rice flour and treacle formed into a flowing batter dripped into a pan of oil and deep-fried. It takes different forms. There is the Konda Kevum, Mung Eta Kevum, Athiraha.
Kevum is usually made on ceremonial occasions like New Year, weddings, birthdays, among others. Aggala is made from roasted rice flour and treacle mixed with a sprinkling of powdered pepper kneaded into small balls. Aluva is another mixture of roasted rice flour, coconut treacle with some other ingredients kneaded and flattened to about an inch thick and cut into diamond shaped pieces.