Not the Chippendale Dancers

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A healing ritual dance was performed at the Mahakande Bungalow by the very famous Kandian dancers. The classical dance forms were associated with the performance of various rituals and ceremonies which were centuries old and were based on the folk religion and folk beliefs going back to times before the acceptance of Buddhism by the Sinhalese people in the 3rd century B.C. Developed from the period of Kandian Kings, the dances imitated movements of animals. We learned that there are 18 different Kandian dances, each imitating a different animal. The costumes were colorful with white, red, yellow, and black mixed. The dancers also wore elaborate head gear and different pieces of silver body decoration. The performance was accompanied by lots of vigorous and impressive drumming. The drum used in Kandyan dancing is known as the Geta Bere, and it takes years to acquire skill in the hectic rhythm of the drums. Towards the end of their performance, each of us was "cleansed" with a lime to ward off evil spirits. They then tied a white string onto our right wrist. I was very greatful to have been able to watch such a rich cultural tradition. It's very interesting to learn about other culture's beliefs. In the Latin community, a "mal de ojo" is believed. Translated, it means "evil eye" Some people are believed to have a very strong aura about them, and are able to transmit evil karma through a look. As a result, the victim of the evil eye suffers from illness. The way to rid the illness caused by evil eye is to rub an egg over the body of the sick person while reciting a prayer. The egg is then cracked in a glass of water, and it is said that the white of the egg will cook in the water. This "cooking" action is caused by the evil. The egg and prayer are said to remove the evil within the ill person.

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