Question 1

What illness does Naga Sanniya represent?

Accepted Answer

Naga Sanniya is the mask associated with snake-related afflictions in the Sanni Yakuma healing ceremony. This includes recurring nightmares involving snakes and physical or psychological conditions traditionally attributed to the influence of naga (serpent) spirits. The ritual performance using this mask was intended to identify and expel the demon causing the problem.

Question 2

What is Sanni Yakuma and how does it work?

Accepted Answer

Sanni Yakuma is a traditional Sinhalese healing ritual in which eighteen demon masks are used to identify, confront, and expel the supernatural causes of eighteen specific maladies. A specialist ritualist called an adura performs the ceremony overnight, using chant, drumming, dance, and dramatic enactment. The patient and their community witness the demons being summoned and banished, which is believed to restore health.

Question 3

Where are Sri Lankan Sanni masks made?

Accepted Answer

The main centre for traditional mask carving in Sri Lanka is Ambalangoda, a coastal town in the Southern Province. Several family workshops and museums there specialise in producing Sanni, Kolam, and Raksha masks using time-honoured techniques. The lightweight wood of the kaduru tree is the traditional material of choice.

Question 4

How many masks are in the Sanni set?

Accepted Answer

There are eighteen masks in the Sanni set, each corresponding to a specific illness or affliction. Together they represent a symbolic classification of disease in traditional Sinhalese medical belief. Naga Sanniya is one of the eighteen and specifically governs disorders linked to serpents.

Question 5

Can tourists see a Sanni Yakuma performance in Sri Lanka?

Accepted Answer

Full overnight Sanni Yakuma ceremonies are conducted primarily for patients and their families rather than public audiences, so they are rarely accessible to tourists. Cultural centres in Kandy sometimes present abbreviated versions of traditional healing rituals as part of evening shows. Visiting mask museums in Ambalangoda is the most reliable way to engage with the tradition.

Question 6

What wood is used to carve Sri Lankan masks?

Accepted Answer

Traditional Sri Lankan ceremonial masks are carved from the wood of the kaduru tree, known botanically as Strychnos nux-vomica. The wood is prized for being lightweight and relatively easy to work with fine detail. Carvers in Ambalangoda have used this material for generations.

Question 7

What is the role of snakes in Sri Lankan religious culture?

Accepted Answer

In Sinhalese Buddhist and folk tradition, the naga or divine serpent holds an important place as both a protective and potentially dangerous supernatural force. Nagas appear as guardians of the Buddha in canonical texts and as protectors of water and fertility in village belief. This dual nature — benevolent and threatening — explains why snake-related disturbances warranted their own dedicated healing ritual and mask.

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