Mats: -

material for this product is obtained from coconut palms or other leaves of reed (pan)such as gal aha, thunhiriya and watakeya. Most of ladies in rural villages are expert for weaving of these products. These mats are used for sleeping or drying grains. Some use these to sit-down at the dhamma preaching by monks.

It has also used as door mat as well kalala to go on that for clergies. Village weavers make various designs for the mats to get attraction of the others. This is a cottage industry in Sri Lanka.

Dumbara, a famous area situated in Kandy district is very popular on mat weaving. They have unique as well as attractive designs. All the material they use to weave mats are environmentally friendly. Attractive and picturesque mats can be purchased for local peoples and foreigners at low prices in Sri Lanka.

Kulla(Winnowing fan) 

This is an instrument to use at kitchen or threshing field of paddy cultivation. By using this, somebody can remain pure grains by removing light small debris on it. At the threshing field, farmers use Winnowing fan to remove empty grains, pieces of straws, and dust. At an occasion at the threshing field of paddy cultivation, three persons involve to purify the grain after harvesting. One farmer drops grains in the floor in shape of curve by using winnowing fan and other two farmers with winnowing fans wave it together to blow out debris. Likewise, they play until all the grains are cleaned. Another occasion, using of winnowing fan can be seen at the kitchen. Before keeping the rice into the pot, women use winnowing fan to remove sand, dust and unnecessary debris. Winnowing fan was a common instrument in every kitchen in typical villages in Sri Lanka. Also, every woman in farming families know to use winnowing fan skillfully. But, using winnowing fan at the threshing filed cannot be done by all farmers. It should be used by skilled farmers. So, only a few people know winnowing fan at the threshing field.

Wattiya/Athulpatha ( Reed Basket)

This is an item used in traditional kitchen in Sri Lanka. Reed Basket is made of coconut leaves or reed leaves or reed. This is a small container which used for keeping foods. In large family, this wattiya used to put rice after cooked for cooling before serve among the people. Further, it is used by villagers as a container to keep some foods or crops under the Sun light for drying purpose. Most of women in old days knew to make their own houses. They applied various designs mixing with colors to get more attraction of people. At present, Reed baskets are available for sale some places in Sri Lanka. This eco-friendly item is common in traditional villages. Village women keep this items by hanging on the nail fixed to kitchen whole when they are not using.

      

Baskets

These baskets are woven by using materials of leaves of ‘gal aha’ or ‘pan’ or coconut leaves. Weavers should have good skill to obtain such a product. They use suitable colors to give attractive finish for the product. People use these baskets to carry vegetables or food items from markets. The circular basket is mostly used to carry rice for temples or paddy fields. However, if any one uses these products carefully, he can do it several years. Environmental hazard free these products are very valuable for human being.

      

      

Water Container (Bottle gourd shell)

Farmers in villages who are engaging in chena cultivations commonly use this item to keep the water or other liquid for their use. Once you put the water in such container it becomes cooler. This hard shell obtained from the matured bottle gourd with keeping several days to dry. Next they will remove the seeds from the kernel and finish the shell by burnishing. If you visited to a cottage in chena cultivation you can see these baskets hanging in the roof hut.

      

'Mula'

Most of the traditional Sri Lankan villagers use this kind of container to preserve grain more than one year. Some used this to carry lunch or dinner when they were going out of the residential place. Moreover, we could see the same as a container of ‘kithul’ honey in some boutiques. This is an eco-friendly made by ancient villagers in Sri Lanka. This can be made by using an areca sheath before drying it. Users peel a new areca sheath and then fold two edges. After filled up with grain or liquid, they tied up firmly top of the it. If users keep this in steam gantry, it last more than one year without damage.

      

Areca sheath Strainer (Kolapath Gotta)

Kolapath gotta is made with areca sheath. Ancient villagers mostly use this bucket to bring water to house or bathing. The size of the container is depended on size of the areca sheath. Even, villagers who know make such buckets are keen to select suitable soft areca sheath. It is depended on the areca trees. Sheath of ‘RataPuwak’ is not used for this purpose because of its firmness.