Dumbara Ratā Kalāla

Dumbara mats are woven from hana, a hemp fibre stripped, boiled, dyed and spun by hand, on a simple loom, with geometric and figurative patterns worked in as the weaving goes rather than printed on afterwards. The craft belongs to the Kinnara community of the Dumbara valley and is hereditary, passed within families at Henawala, and the mats were historically made for the Kandyan court. UNESCO inscribed it on the Representative List in 2021.

Highlights

• The fibre preparation - hana stripped, boiled, dyed and spun by hand before weaving.
• The loom work - patterns built into the weave rather than applied after.
• The geometric designs - the traditional motifs particular to the craft.
• The Henawala weavers - the families at the village who still hold the skill.

When to go

Year round; visits are arranged through the village and weekday mornings are when work is happening. The craft is practised by a small number of families. Booking ahead is sensible.

Good to know

Very few families still weave and the craft is genuinely at risk, which is why it is on the list. Printed imitations are sold widely as Dumbara work. Prices for a real mat reflect weeks of labour.

Nearby

Kandy is southwest, and the Knuckles range is northeast.