Chithrarathna Kurunnase: Sri Lanka’s Famous Traditional Kandyan Dancer and Teacher

Chithrarathna Werapitiya, better known in the community as Chithrarathna Kurunnase, is the island’s grand master of the traditional Kandyan dancing art – one of the most respected crafts that originated in the hill country of Ceylon centuries ago. He has been awarded the President’s Award more than 40 times for his exceptional traditional dancing and singing performances over the years, and has represented Sri Lanka on prestigious overseas tours. Passing down the tradition to hundreds more, he founded the Chithrarathna Narthana Ayathanaya Kandyan Dancing Academy.

One of the highest honors for any traditional dancer in Sri Lanka is performing at the Kandy Perahara amidst the sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha, and Chithrarathna’s “wes kandayama”, the traditional mask dance, is one of the most prominent acts in the Perahara to-date.

Frequently Asked Questions

For amazing stories on Exjourneys

Our policy in discouraging Animal Cruelty, Tourist Traps and Staged Tourist Shows

Animals Are Friends Too: Discouraging Animal Cruelty, Tourist Traps and Staged Tourist Shows

We at ExJ stay away from tourism experiences that are staged and involve animal cruelty and shopping traps that are contrived to exploit and deceive clients.

Even though some of the popular ‘attractions’ are not included in our programmes due to the above reasons, we have no objections in our clients making their own arrangements with our Drivers to visit these places.

Why we do not promote following attractions

Turtle Hatcheries

As this concept has serious negative aspects in terms of conservation, we do not encourage our visitors to patronize the turtle hatcheries, as not all of them are really turtle-friendly. We instead encourage them to observe turtles in their natural habitats.

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

When we became aware that the animal welfare standards there were questionable, we stopped encouraging our clients to visit the orphanage. We are pleased to observe that the Born Free Foundation has now adopted similar measures.

Elephant back rides – Habarana

There’s uncertainty surrounding the attitude of this place towards animal welfare. There may be a few ethical operators, but in general, we are not in agreement with how the place is run. We all would love a photo of us riding an elephant, but is a lifetime of pain caused to these magnificent mammals really worth a few fleeting likes on social media?

Traditional Village Tour with a Canoe Trip and Bullock-Carts – Habarana

This is a tourist trap where a lot of the trip is ‘staged’ for commercial purposes. Such fake touristic experiences will not give our visitors an idea of what life in the country is really like, so join us as we show you the real side of Sri Lanka. And at the end of every vacation, always ask yourself, “Did you feel that your holiday was ethical, eco-friendly, and reduced environmental impacts?”

Are you a Tour Operator? Visit our Members Area