Kandian Dance in Sri Lanka.❤️

   

 Kandyan dance is a dance tradition that originated in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. It is one of the main traditions of Sinhala dance. At present it is widespread among the Sinhalese people in all parts of Sri Lanka. It was a dance restricted to men until the end of the 19th century. Nowadays, women's Kandyan dances are also widespread.

           According to legends, the king who was ruling at that time saw an ant leopard jumping on his body in a dream.  According to the belief of the time, the king considered the dream to be a curse on Kuveni and fell seriously ill.  At the request of the king to cure the disease, a group of witches came to Ceylon from India and then performed a ritual called Kohomba Kankariya for the king.  History has it that the king was completely healed and that this is the origin of the traditional Kandyan dance.

Adding a Sri Lankan identity to this dance tradition, a special caste associated with it emerged in the Kandyan kingdom and they were a special part of the same caste that holds themes to the Tooth Relic.  They were also recognized as part of the main dancers of the Dalada Perahera.

 The Kandyan kingdom collapsed with the British invasion of the upcountry, and the traditional dance form died out at the same time.  With the independence, the Kandyan tradition was revived through the remnants of this unique art and the traditional dance forms of the Sri Lankan society can be seen in the Kandyan dance art even today.

 According to legends, the Kandyan dance originated in Sri Lanka through a ritual called Kohomba Kankariya performed by a group of Indian monks who came to Sri Lanka.

 According to legends, Indian witches came to Sri Lanka to cure King Vijaya of Kuveni after he fell ill and became king of Panduwas Deva.  The king told the witches that he often dreamed that a leopard would attack him and that he was in great distress.  It is believed that it was caused by the magic of Queen Kuveni, the first queen of King Vijaya.  After performing a ritual called Kohomba Kankariya, the disease was completely cured and it attracted the attention of many locals.

 This was primarily performed by dancers of a rare caste named by the Kandyan state system.  They were attached to the duties of the Temple of the Tooth and performed a special service during the annual Sri Dalada Perahera.

 The popularity of this traditional dance form, which originated under the patronage of the Kandyan kings, declined somewhat with the British rule.  Today, it is re-energized and adapted to the stage and stands out as a core cultural element of Sri Lanka.

Kandyan dancers are adorned with elaborate costumes, including headdresses.  A beautiful beaded ornament that covers the chest of the dancer.  This wardrobe is called a mask wardrobe.  The headdress is made of metal with a forehead band that makes the dance look taller.  The antique wardrobe also includes a kinky-voiced goji.  Only male dancers are allowed to wear a full-featured costume during special cultural events such as the Ves Mangalya.Women's Kandyan dances originated in the 20th century, based on the Kandyan dance tradition in which only men were allowed to practice.  There are several institutes specially established for this purpose in Sri Lanka.  But there is no separate costume for female dancers and female dancers have to change and use the male dancer's costume to suit a female dancer.  Women's Kandyan dances will not be used for the Senkadagala Perahera.

 For social, economic and political reasons, only a fraction of Kohomba Kankari is currently performing.  We can still see traditional Kandyan dances during the Kandy Dalada Perahera which is held every year.❤️😊