Muhunu

‘Muhunu’ is named after the intricately carved wooden character masks worn by local actors performing in the Kolam folk dramas popular among villagers in Sri Lanka’s south. The masks that adorn the walls, all of which depict the faces of royalty, are the work of a master carver named Manjula, a humble man with a small workshop nearby who has won awards for his exquisite work. They are carved from the light Balsa-like wood of Kaduru trees, which grow in marshy lands bordering paddy fields, and then whitewashed rather than painted for a more natural appearance. The opulent king-size bed and other furnishings were created in the traditional Dutch-Sri Lankan colonial style.