Devil Masks of Sri Lanka

A mask can be some kind of a language that expresses the emotion of a figure one chooses to create. It is a language anyone can understand and one that has been shown to be of great historical significance in Sri Lanka. The tradition of mask dancing or yakun natima has been, and still is, used for spiritual, religious, healing and even exorcisms.

Mesmerized by the beauty of these masks, I chose to discover the culture behind it and it surprised me how very little I knew about these dying traditions. What little I found out was enough to get me fascinated to draw one.


For those of you who don’t know, there are different types of masks used in Sri Lanka: Kolam mask, Sanni mask and the Raksha mask. The Kolam masks were mainly used for theatrical performances. Sanni masks were mainly used to treat disease. In the Sinhalese society, disease had two origins. It could be either natural or supernatural. While Ayurvedic treatments were greatly popular to heal the natural diseases, supernatural ones were put in the hands of a greater power. Dancing rituals were performed when all other methods of healing had failed. And finally the Raksha masks or Devil masks which were depicted as cobras or peacocks etc, each carrying with it a different meaning.

While these hand-crafted masks make beautiful mementos for tourists to take back home, each mask is unique. Here I drew the Mauru Raksha or the Peacock Demon and it signifies Peace, Happiness and Luck.

You can truly appreciate all the details in such a piece. I only drew this with my polychromos, but the actual mask is hand-crafted and made of wood which is later painted. The attention to detail is imperative.

Unfortunately, yakun natima is now a fading culture. The language that these masks speak and the sound of their beating drums will soon fall to deaf ears. It is therefore an immense responsibility to shed light on this beautiful tradition and give it the recognition it deserves.