Blessings of fertility and health

The Devol Madu Shanthikarmaya is a grand spectacle for both locals and visitors to Sri Lanka. This rural ritual, also known as Gam Maduwa, is designed to invoke the blessings of the Goddess Paththini, to bless the village with good health, fertility and a bountiful harvest. Performed in a wide enclosure under a full moon, the ritual is led by the Kapurala - a spiritual leader and healer - and followed by 40 performers including Yaka Beraya drummers, Gini Keliya fire dancers, and Devil Mask wearing performers representing the fearsome Mahasona and Eerie Yaka. At night, the enclosure is lit up with fire torches and the 18-hour ritual commences with a fire dance, when the full moon becomes visible. As dawn breaks, Kiribath (Milk Rice) is offered to the gods first and then to the villagers and visitors. The ritual ends later in the day, with the Gara Yaka climbing the branches of a Gorok tree, planted in the middle of the enclosure, to give the final performance ridding the village of evil spirits and negative energies. If you wish to experience this spellbinding ritual, please do let us know and we can arrange it.