Raksha (demon) mask, Sri Lanka

Raksha (demon) mask, Sri Lanka Gallery Image

Raksha (demon) mask, Sri Lanka

This type of Tovil (devil) or Shanthikarma (good action) mask is used in the ancient Sri Lankan pre-Buddhist ritual of the Yakun Natima (Devil Dance). Believing that illness is caused by the curse of evil spirits, masked performers representing demonic gods dance with tha patient to hypnotic trance-inducing rhythms. The ritual combines both psychology and Ayurvedic ideas about disease to treat participants by dancing to the point of exhaustion.

Do you or your family have any special way to take care of yourselves when you aren’t feeling well?

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