Kohomba Kankariya, Kandyan Folk Dance, Kandy, Sri Lanka
Your base for exploring this tourist attraction is the ancient city of Kandy, Sri Lanka. For tourist information about Kandy, go to Kandy Travel Guide. To prepare for a trip to Sri Lanka, read also the Sri Lanka Travel Guide. Looking for budget accommodation there? Use AsiaExplorers Budget Accommodation Guide, the no-frills website to cover your budget accommodation needs.
Kohomba Kankariya is a religious performance that has since crossed the boundaries to become secular entertainment staged for the benefit of tourists to Kandy, Sri Lanka. The Kohomba Kankariya used to be a night-long ceremony in honour of the deity Kohomba. It is a stylized dance requiring about 50 male dancers dressed with silver belts and beaded breastplates, and with anklets and headdresses. They swirl and skip to the rhythm of drums to express their devotion to their god in worshipful obeisance.
Today, Kandyan dance may also include women dancers, as was witnessed by us during this performance in Kandy. There were also comic sketches. At the end of the dance, we were invited outside to watch a brief fire-walking presentation.
Dancer in action at the Kohomba Kankariya, Kandy.
Dancer in action.
The dancers in their ceremonial costumes.
There are also women dancers.
The Kohomba Kankariya drummers.
Dancers of the Kohomba Kankariya in swirling motions.
Dancers making high leaps at the Kohomba Kankariya dance.
Kandy Travel Guide
Useful tips and information on tourist attractions to help you prepare for a trip to Kandy, Sri Lanka.
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