Visit the Ariyapala Mask Museum in Ambalangoda,
a cultural centre that exhibits these masks as well as other artisanal handicrafts.
Masks are created for three different types of dancing rituals: Kolam, which tell mocking stories of traditional Sri Lankan colonial life; Sanni, or devil dancing masks, used in a type of exorcism ceremony to heal people of persisting illnesses believed to be inflicted by demons; and Raksha masks, which are used in festivals and processions.
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