The legend of the Kohomba Kankari

The legend of the Kohomba Kankari

• Kohomba Kankari is the main religious item in the Kandyan dance.

Around 2500 years ago, the land of Lala in North India was ruled by a king named Sinhabahu and his wife, Sinhavalli. They had many children, the eldest of whom was named Vijaya.

Vijaya was an extremely mischievous and wilful young man. His father pardoned him many times for his unlawful acts, but finally the King got tired of his behaviour and put him on a boat with 700 of his companions and sent the boat adrift on the ocean. For many days the boat sailed, before finally reaching Sri Lanka.

The Kuweni hide the Persons of Vijaya when they wont to water for them, at embarked Sri Lanka Vijaya with seven hundred people. Vijaya met Kuweeni, when he wont to find his men. After their conversation with each other , Vijaya married Kuweeni and he became the king of Sri Lanka They have had tow  children called Jeewahaththa and Dissala.

Vijaya, however, was not happy with Kuveni and abandoned her and their two children. He then married a beautiful princess from Madura (India), who had arrived on the island by ship.

Kuveni was killed by the Yakkas for her betrayal, and her two children escaped into the forest. The time at Kuweni's kill she angry with Vijaya.

 After the death at Vijaya prince Panduwasdew became the king at Srilanka. The king Panduwasdew  one day  frightened form nightmare. Then asked form cunning advisers have sed that it wos a punishment of kuweni.

At last god "Shakra" and "Asura" called "Rahu" talk about that how to resolve that problem and they decated  the prince of Malaya should to prepare  a yaaga called "Kohmba  Kankari"

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Sabaragamuwa Dance

Sabaragamuwa Dance 

 
             The Ratnapura District and several area  of the Kegalle District Sabaragamuwa Dancing  methord have scattered. The Klonne Koralaya, Dekoralaya, and kukulu koralaya are the main regiooms , witch popularte  as the Sabaragamuwa dance.     

             The main musical instrument  is  the Dawula, only instrument playing dual action nowdays.  (hand and Kadippu) "Pahan Madu Shanthikrmaya" is the main  "Shanthikarmaya" at the Sabaragamuwa Dancecing method. The main dressing set is cold Sabaragamuwa Dressingns or "Saman Devi Andum Kattalaya".

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Vannam

Vannam

The word "vannam" comes from the Sinhala word "varnana" (descriptive praise). Ancient Sinhala texts refer to a considerable number of "vannams" that were only sung; later they were adapted to solo dances, each expressing a dominant idea. History reveals that the Kandyan king Sri Weeraparakrama Narendrasinghe gave considerable encouragement to dance and music. In this Kavikara Maduwa (a decorated dance arena) there were song and poetry contests.

It is said that the kavi (poems sung to music) for the eighteen principal vannams were composed by an old sage named Ganithalankara, with the help of a Buddhist priest from the Kandy temple. The vannams were inspired by nature, history, legend, folk religion, folk art, and sacred lore, and each is composed and interpreted in a certain mood (rasaya) or expression of sentiment. The eighteen

classical vannams are gajaga ("elephant"), thuranga ("horse"), mayura ("peacock"), gahaka ("conch shell"), uranga ("crawling animals"), mussaladi ("hare"), ukkussa ("eagle"), vyrodi ("precious stone"), hanuma ("monkey"), savula ("cock"), sinharaja ("lion"), naga ("cobra"), kirala ("red-wattled

lapwing"), eeradi ("arrow"), Surapathi (in praise of the goddess Surapathi), Ganapathi (in praise of the god Ganapathi), uduhara (expressing the pomp and majesty of the king), and assadhrusa (extolling the merit of Buddha). To these were added samanala ("Butterfly"), bo (the sacred bo tree at Anuradhapura, a sapling of the original bo tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment), and hansa vannama ("swan"). The vannama dance tradition has seven components: dog dance, cat dance, lion dance, ostrich dance, parrot dance, etc.

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Low Country Dances (Pahatharata Netum)

Low Country Dances (Pahatharata Netum)

Dances in low country are highly ritualistic. This form of dance is performed to appease evil spirits which cause sickness and is thus called 'Devil Dance'. The dancers wear masks depicting many characters varied in forms of bird, demons, reptiles, etc. There are 18 main dances related to pahatharata style known as the Daha Ata Sanniya held to exorcise 18 types of diseases from the human body.The "Devil Dances" are an attempt to respond to the common belief that certain ailments are caused by unseen hands and that they should be chased away for the patient to get cured. If an individual or a family is not doing well, the village-folk believe that it's because that person or the family is being harassed by unseen hands. A 'tovil' ceremony is the answer.

The 'tovil' can be a simple ritualistic ceremony at home restricted to family and immediate neighbours or involving the whole village like the 'gam-maduva' or the 'devol-maduva' which is closely linked to the worship of gods. Masked dancers take part in at least two of the well-known 'tovil' ceremonies referred to as the 'Maha Sohon Samayama' and the 'Gara Yakuma'. The mention of 'Maha Sohona' frightens the people since he is believed to be the demon of the graveyards.

The performer disguises himself as a bear and wears a mask and a dress to resemble one. Often the 'tovil' involves the 'sanni' dances where all the dancers wear masks. The 'daha ata sanniya' refers to eighteen ailments with a demon being responsible for each one of them.

Dancers wearing masks depicting different characters take part in processions while at certain ceremonies. Of later origin are the masks worn by children and teenagers at street performances during Vesak. Popularly known as 'olu bakko' for the simple reason that oversize masks are worn, these performances keep the younger folk, in particular, entertained

The simple version of the devil dance ritual usually starts in the morning with the building of the stage, decorations and preparation of the costumes. The performers build an intricate stage before which the dancing commences. The stage consists of a wall made of freshly cut natural materials such as coconut palm tree and banana tree trunks. Depending on the region and the available materials the stage may also be coated with clay mud. The dances are accompanied by drummers which also herald the begin of the ritual. The distinctive sound ensures all neighbours turn up to take part. The full ritual usually lasts until the morning, with the dancers consuming betel-nut juice and drinking coke to stay awake. Dances can however also go on for multiple days.

                                                                                                                                                                    
                                             
                                                    

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Kandyan dance

Kandyan dance

              According to the legend, the origins of the dance lies in dance ritual known as the Kohomba kankariya (named for the deity Kohomba), which is also known as Kohomba yak kankariya or simply kankariya. Traditional dance masters believe that originally the king of a place referred to as "Malaya Rata", and his two brothers, performed the first Kohomba kankariya. Some believe that this "Malaya Rata" was located in India.

According to legend, the three shamans came to the island as a result of a trick of the god Śakra in order to cure the king, Panduwasdev, who was suffering from a mysterious illness. The king was said to be suffering from a recurring dream in which a leopard was directing its tongue towards the king, believed to be as a black magic of Kuweni, the first wife of the king Vijaya. After the performance of the Kohomba kankariya the illness vanished, and many natives adopted the dance.

It was originally performed by dancers who were identified as a separate caste under the Kandyan feudal system. They were aligned to the Temple of the Tooth and had a significant role to play in the dalada perahera (procession) held each year by the temple.

The dance waned in popularity as the support for the dancers from the Kandyan kings ended during the British period. It has now been revived and adapted for the stage, and is Sri Lanka's primary cultural export.

Ves dance, the most popular, originated from an ancient purification ritual, the Kohomba yakuma or Kohomba kankariya. The dance was propitiatory, never secular, and performed only by males. The elaborate ves costume, particularly the headgear, is considered sacred and is believed to belong to the deity Kohomba.

Only toward the end of the 19th century were ves dancers first invited to perform outside the precincts of the Kankariya Temple at the annual Kandy Perahera festival. Today the elaborately costumed ves dancer epitomizes Kandyan dance, which highlights Sri Lanka's culture.

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Traditional Dances of Sri Lanka

Traditional Dances of  Sri Lanka 

 Classical Dances

There are three main styles of Sri Lankan classical dance:

•     The Kandyan dances of the Hill Country, known as Uda Rata Natum
•     The low country dances of the southern plains, known as Pahatha Rata Natum
•     Sabaragamuwa dances, or Sabaragamuwa Natum.

Kandyan dance takes its name from Kandy, the last royal capital of Sri Lanka, which is situated about 120 kilometers from the modern capital at Colombo. This genre is today considered the classical dance of Sri Lanka. In Sanskrit terminology it is considered pure dance (nrtta) it features a highly developed system of "tala" (rhythm) provided by cymbals called "thalampataa". There are five distinct types; the ves, naiyandi, uddekki, pantheru, and vannams.

The three classical dance forms differ in their styles of body-movements and gestures, in the costumes worn by the performers, and in the shape and size of the drums used to provide rhythmic sound patterns to accompany the dancing.

The drum used in Kandyan dancing is known as the Geta Bera, the drum in Ruhunu (low country) dancing as the "Yak Bera", and drum in Sabaragamu dancing as the "Davula" (the word Bera or Bereya in Sinhale means "Drum") The Geta Bera is beaten with the hands as is also Yak Bera, while the Davula is played with a stick on one side and with one hand on the other side; the Geta Bera has a body which tapers on both sides while the Yak Bera and the Davula both have cylindrical bodies.

The main distinguishing feature between Kandyan and Sabaragamu dancing, and Ruhunu dancing, is that Ruhunu dancers wear masks.

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