APE GAMA” TRADITIONAL ARTS & CRAFTS VILLAGE

09:00 Hrs Depart Colombo Pier to “Ape Gama” drive past the Reclamation road passing by St. Anthonys Church, Town Hall, Cinnamon Gardens, Horton Place and passing by the General Cemetery to the Capital City of Kotte and the New Parliament for a photo stop.

10:00 Hrs Arrive at Ape Gama and visit the Traditional Crafts Village

11.30 Hrs Refreshment, experience the drinking of the water of a fresh King Coconut in traditional style straight from the nut.

12.30 Hrs Depart to Pier (Ship Side) via Old Parliament viewing Old British Light House and through Bank of Ceylon Mawatha to York Street Gate No: 3.

13:30 hrs Arrive at the Pier.

SERVICE INCLUDES

Approximate Duration :	04 Hours 30 Mins
Activity Level (Easy, Moderate, Strenuous)	Moderate
List of Sites Visited :	“Ape Gama” Traditional Arts & Crafts Village
Min No of Pax for Excursion :	70
Max No of Pax for Excursion :	140
Meals :	Not included
Refreshment :	Included (Fresh King Coconut)
Meal / Refreshment Venue :	“Ape Gama”
Entrance Fee :	Included in Tour Cost
Guide Fee (Any Language) :	Included in Tour Cost
Porterage & Tips	Not included (Optional)
PARTICIPATION RESTRICTIONS
Min Age to Participate –  | Max Age to Participate	Nil
Min Height to Participate –  | Max Height to Participate	Nil
Min Weight to Participate –  | Max Weight to Participate	Nil
Medical Restrictions (if applicable)	No
Wheelchair Access Notes	Recommended
Wheelchair Access Notes	Recommended (ONLY FOLDING WHEEL CHAIRS)

Ape Gama, History and a Rich Cultural Heritage that spans across 2,500 years

In a country that boasts of a voluminous history and a rich cultural heritage that spans across 2,500 years, the state sponsored National Crafts Council plays the role of the guardian that preserves and develops the local arts and crafts, making sure they continue through relentlessly into the unforeseen future. In striving to preserve 19 sectors of handicraft ranging from clay work to masks, cane and Batik to leather and lacework, the Craft Village at Battaramulla is one of the Crafts Council’s most impactful initiatives.

As you enter the premises, you leave the city behind at its large gates and are greeted by the welcoming shade of expansive trees. Scattered on acres of land are little houses resembling those of a typical 
Sri Lankan village. In each of the little coconut leaf thatched mud huts sits a craftsman and his apprentices working away on their different objects d’art.

Enter into a Different World

As you cross the threshold to one that particularly catches your eye, you will be greeted by an elderly man who will welcome you heartily into his makeshift home of crafts. As you begin admiring his brass handiwork, he will sit back down at his workshop taking two little tools worn from age and starts working on a beautiful brass platter. Having admired his brass bells, ornaments and wall hangings among a host of other products, which includes elegant reed ornaments and cane furniture that were attractively displayed 
at the stall next door, you slowly slip out to visit the creator of Dumbara items. He sits at his loom weaving an exceptionally colourful Dumbara wall hanging. His own walls are adorned with colourful pieces of art woven with his skillful hands. 
He weaves another geometrically pleasing wall hanging adorned with vibrant patches of harmoniously contrasting colours. All his works of art were inspired by the age old Dumbara patterns; a legacy of the Dumbara region.

Every Story of Each Individual Craftsman is Different

Each and every story of each individual craftsman is woven, sculpted, carved or coloured in the tones of their respective arts and crafts. The dainty lace work from the coastal areas of the Island brings with them the wonder of the 
quaint technique of knitting lace. Carved masks fascinate the viewer either by the powerful, exaggerated expressions captured in the details or with the droll expressions 
depicted on less imposing masks. Apart from the masks, the Craft Village houses traditional arts and sculptures associated with thovil ceremonies. On your ramble in the Craft Village premises, your feet invariably takes you towards many more stalls. Musical instruments with violins, flutes and traditional Sri Lankan drums tempt you. Sesath: the majestic sun shades, which sheltered royalty decades ago, beckon you with their curious motifs and red-brown shades. 
Exquisite rings, necklaces, bangles and bracelets flaunts their elaborate make and intricate designs. You mingle with the other visitors who had come to the village, greeting different yet equally wondrous items at each corner.

A UNESCO Heritage Site

There are 45 stalls altogether under 19 sectors scattered across the village, each displaying arts and crafts from various corners of the Island with craftsmen and artists representing traditional artisan families. They have been given
a space at the National Crafts 
Council’s Craft Village providing a market for their products as well 
as an opportunity for them to 
demonstrate their talents to the consumer, all at once, delightfully providing the visitor a chance not only to understand the intricacies involved in the making of traditional crafts but also to buy what they like. The Craft Village is not just another place to sell crafts, it is a UNESCO heritage site where the artisans are provided proper training and awarded for the quality of their work. It is a village in the city, where various arts and crafts thrive alongside artists who come together to shape the cultural legacy of Sri Lanka with their expertise and hard work.