The ‘Traditional Craftsmanship of Making Dumbara Ratā Kalāla’, an important element of Sri Lanka’s intangible cultural heritage practiced in two traditional craft villages known as Kalasirigama and Alokagama in the districts of Kandy and Matale, has been inscribed by UNESCO on its prestigious Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
This new status is equivalent to the status of ‘World Heritage Site’ in the domain of tangible cultural heritage.
The announcement was made by UNESCO yesterday (15th Dec 2021) at the 16th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee the organ that implements the 2003 International Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage being held from 13th to 18th Dec this year at its headquarters in Paris.
UNESCO made this decision after examining a nomination prepared by a committee of experts appointed by and worked with the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious, and Cultural Affairs in association with the National Library and Documentation Services Board, the Divisional Secretariat Offices of the two relevant districts, and the traditional crafts families of the two villages.
This inscription of our traditional Dumbara mat weaving craftsmanship brings an immense reputation to Sri Lanka and its living cultural heritage. Similarly, it helps draw the public attention to this extraordinary craft that is faced with the threat of disappearance after another three or four decades due to numerous socio-economic reasons. It is also expected that the increase of visibility of the craft caused by this inscription by UNESCO will help enhance the livelihoods of the craftspeople and hence improve the quality of their lives.