 | Another souvenir of southern Sri Lanka is a batik garment or wall-hanging. The art of batik-making was imported from Indonesia by the Dutch in the 16th century. Since then, the craft has developed a distinctive Sri Lankan flavour, a charming character of its own. Batik is made using pure, natural fibres such as cotton, linen or silk. The fabric is waxed and dyed to create intricate patterns or scenes, some from the Jataka - a volume of folklore concerning the previous lives of the Buddha. A dazzling 20m-long batik is used to decorate the elephant carrying the casket of the Sacred Tooth Relic during the annual Kandy Esala Perahara. |
