Pan Peduru; The Art of weaving pan reeds into a magical carpet

“Pan Pedura”, is a multi purpose Sri Lankan mat, that has been in use  since the ancient ages. In the past, almost every Sri Lankan home used to have several of these mats for different purposes. Once it is a tuckaway bed, next a surface to dry paddy, spices and other dried foods, sometimes , a dining table and the mat when put on the verandah, serves as seats in old Sri Lankan village mud houses. The raw materials or fabrics used for this traditional mat are the varieties of pan reed that is freely available in the river and lake banks. The raw pan reeds are first  boiled in natural dyes to start the process. And only then does the art start. Two dried pan reeds of the same length are vertically placed together, running parallel to each other in the manner of a rail track, then a third is brought into the frame and placed horizontally to tie up the two. The continuation of this interlacing process will finally result in a colourful handcrafted mat.

This artistry is accompanied by folk poems called “Paduru Kavi” which were sung by the early craftswomen when weaving mats. The famed “Paduru Party” is a music event with traditional instruments that are played on these mats while the audience sits  on these mats. Ourl excursions to local communities that are engaging in this craft will enable our guests to have a complete experience of the crafting of this colourful carpet - inclusive of a Paduru Party and some true local hospitality
 

Dammi; A keen birder, butterfly specialist and Nature & Wildlife interpreter

A Nature & Wildlife Guide, Dhammithera is from Kandy – the picturesque hill capital of Sri Lanka. wledge on wildlife to the guests who patronize this village trail, which will surely be a valuable addition to the guests.He went on to join many wildlife research programmes conducted in various parts of the island under the supervision of both Sri Lankan and UK research organisations during his early career.His versatility extends to photography as well. A keen birding photographer, Dhammithera presented his debut Photography Exhibition on Butterflies of Sri Lanka themed “Colourful Wings of Nature” in 1997 and has seen regularly contributed to many national and international magazines with his captivating photographs. As a Nature & Wildlife Guide, Dhammithera continues to serve Nature & Wildlife tourists from many overseas tour operators, serving to educate, promote and inform about precious Sri Lankan wilderness and biodiversity.

We have now grown; Two new directors on the journey...

With great pleasure, we are proud to announce the addition of  two new directors who are on board to go forward with Eco Team.

Mr. Sarinda Unamboowe

Our first director Sarinda Unamboowe is a keen wildlife enthusiast & a photographer who holds many top positions in high ranked companies in the Sri Lankan apparel industry. He is a Trustee of two Charities; The Colours of Courage Trust & The Wheels for Wheels Foundation. He has contributed immensely  by walking from North to South and 10 days of cycling around the country to raise the funds for those charities.

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Mr. Sriyan De Silva Wijerathne

Our second director is Sriyan De Silva Wijerathne, a CIMA qualifier who  holds many top positions in Sri Lanka’s leading organizations in both the state and private sectors, and is also  a wildlife enthusiast and a photographer who is a keen traveller and enjoys music a lot. He was awarded many awards for his performance and contributions to the business sector, including Forbes “Asia’s 200 Best under a Billion Dollar Company”.

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