Events at Daniel's Resort
Sri Lankan Low Country dances (Pahatha rata natum/ South part of the country) that date back to the days of the Ruhunu Kingdom are performances that are unique in their own right. A few people in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka still practice many of these ritualistic dances, and it is not out of the ordinary to hear about them taking place in certain areas of the Western Province either.
The dancers, all men, each wear around their heads a red cloth fringed with long ribbons of palm leaves hanging down like hair, a strip of cloth around their chests, 22 yards (20 metres) of thin white cloth wound so skillfully around their hips that it never comes loose during an entire night of violent activity, and clusters of bells fitted around their calves to make a deafening jingle. Their appearance is half female, half male.
The dance is punctuated by little pieces of mime and magical actions, with drummers pounding to the accompaniment of a chorus of singers. The climax is reached when the dancers, holding flaming torches in both hands, whirl and spin, forming circles of fire around themselves. The flames lick their bodies, but they remain unsinged. The dancers leap and dive through the air in seeming defiance of gravity. In this surcharged atmosphere they pause to put on masks representing various demons. These have frightening expressions. They romp and stomp in circles, describing their identity and the purpose of their visit. The particular demon associated with the malady enters the patient’s body. The chief exorcist questions, threatens, tortures, beseeches, and offers bribes to appease the demon until it finally leaves and its victim is healed.