Traditional Puppet Art Museum

So what did the locals do before television and Wi-Fi? What was there in terms of entertainment before restaurants and bars dotted the bustling city? There were traditional puppets putting on mesmerising shows. Puppets clad in colourful attire would play out dramatic scenes, some plays even lasted hours with plots that had everything from elements of love, to war and destruction.
Walk into the museum and you'll find intricately-carved wooden masks and puppets. The clothing too is handmade and sometimes showcases detailed embroidery. Some beautiful puppets are even clad in the traditional, especially in Kandyan Sari or the Osaria. You'll first glimpse this sari with a delightful frill at the waist when you fly into Colombo. Unfortunately, the art of making puppets is dying and just a few families keep it alive, having passed down the trade from one generation to the next. Within the museum you'll find puppets large and small. But each will transport you to simpler times. In many ways, life before Wi-Fi, was even more colourful.