Colourful costumes overflowing with grandeur, energetic movements and thudding drum beats characterize this lively yet elegant dance portraying the proud and rich heritage of the Sri Lankan nation. Originating from the central hills region of the country, there are plenty of hotels Sri Lanka amongst which Hotel Hilltop is amongst the hotels Sri Lanka in which one can lodge in while exploring this ancient art. It is said that the origins of the dance lies in the Kohomba Kankariya, originally performed by Indian shamans who came to the island to cure a king who had a recurring dream. The Kandyan Dance is a venerated art form and follows a tradition of its own. In the olden days, this dance was performed by dancers who belonged to a separate caste who dedicated their entire lives to the Kandyan Dance but now, it is more widely spread and is practiced as a performance art form.

The costume of the Kandyan dancer is vibrant and elaborate and also consists of a head dress and heavy anklets that make a heavy rattling sound to the rhythm of their dance moves. This costume is referred to as the Ves costume. In the olden days, only the males were allowed to train as dancers but over the years, more and more female dancers have made their way into this glorious art form that is a way of expression on its own. The dance is performed to percussion music only and the most popular instrument used for this is the Geta Beraya while a small pair of symbols known as the thalampota is also used to keep rhythm. The scope of Kandyan Dance is rather vast and there are several types of popular dances that fall under the category of Kandyan Dance. The most popular of these are perhaps the Vannams, fashioned after the characteristics of different animals; peacock, elephant, monkey and the cock to name a few.

Jayani Senanayake is a writer who dabbles in travel and all things exotic. Under the pseudonym of Calliope Sage, she writes of the allures that must simply be discovered. Google+