In the olden days when local medicine men cured patients of various maladies that afflicted humans by using a variety of concoctions, oils, pills and mixtures, there was another secret ingredient that was used to heal the infirm; Daha Ata Sanniya. Daha Ata meaning eighteen and Sanniya meaning illness, it is a form of exorcism that drives away eighteen types of disease causing demons who have taken over the spirit of the sick. An elaborate ritual of blessings that starts at dusk and continues unto dawn, Daha Ata Sanniya is a feast for the eye and ear and administers a dose of common medicine to all.
Words Thilini Kahandawaarachchi | Photographs Mahesh Prasantha | Prabhath Chathuranga
