The region of Bay of Bengal has been an important part of maritime activities, including trading and fisheries from the past to the present. Though the number remains unaccounted for in most countries, but amidst the number of fishermen, there is a substantial number of fisherwomen, who have been contributing through generations in various ways. Lopamudra Maitra Bajpai attempted to look into the contribution of the fisherwomen community around the western fringes of the Bay of Bengal, especially focusing on the countries of Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka and the vital contributions of these womenfolk.

The earliest mention of the pattala (pa'tala:) is in the Bago Kalyani Sima lithic inscription of A.D. 1479 enumerating the presents exchanged with the king of present day Sri Lanka. It was mentioned by Court official Twinthin Mingyi in 1798 as one of the six instruments of the anyein (non- dramatic dance and comedy) ensemble. F.A Neilly, author of a book on Thailand, wrote " The Thai xylophone is derived from the Myanmar xylophone which the Myanmar play exceedingly well". Thai Research Society Vol 69 Part 1-2 of January- July 1951 carried long article by USA Kent University School of Music Terry E Miller and Music Department of Shrinaken University researcher Jaran Chaichonperut. War between the two countries made cultural exchange of musical instruments. There is evidence to show that the xylophone was extant earlier in Myanmar than in Thailand.\nEarlier, softwood was used for the mallets. Now they are made of teak, padauk, cutch, yindai or pyinkado. The mallets are eight inches long with a soft knob of cotton, felt or velvet at the tip. The resonance box is usually made of teak and decorated with pieces of glass of various colors and gilt. Earlier the box constituted one body. Now it is made collapsible for easier transportation. Thought the slats are generally bamboo, there can also be brass or iron. The Myanmar pattala is tuned to the diatonic scale. However, Myanmar chau' pau' and hni pau' instead of being equivalent to international E and B notes are a semitone each Lower. The Myanmar pattala covers one octave below middle C and two octaves above thereby encompassing altogether three octaves. The Myanmar pattala is composed of the slats, the resonance box and the mallets. The beginner is trained to first play left and right strikers alternately in the "maun nin:" method of play. Then the student is trained to strike the mallets simultaneously using the "zoun" method. Traditionally, the player tearns to keep to the timing beats by playing the short music piece beginning "htan taya tei: shin" . They the player is taught the combined "htan", the combined "dun", the combined "djan" and the detached "djan".

The earliest mention of the pattala (pa'tala:) is in the Bago Kalyani Sima lithic inscription of A.D. 1479 enumerating the presents exchanged with the king of present day Sri Lanka. It was mentioned by Court official Twinthin Mingyi in 1798 as one of the six instruments of the anyein (non- dramatic dance and comedy) ensemble. F.A Neilly, author of a book on Thailand, wrote " The Thai xylophone is derived from the Myanmar xylophone which the Myanmar play exceedingly well". Thai Research Society Vol 69 Part 1-2 of January- July 1951 carried long article by USA Kent University School of Music Terry E Miller and Music Department of Shrinaken University researcher Jaran Chaichonperut. War between the two countries made cultural exchange of musical instruments. There is evidence to show that the xylophone was extant earlier in Myanmar than in Thailand.\nEarlier, softwood was used for the mallets. Now they are made of teak, padauk, cutch, yindai or pyinkado. The mallets are eight inches long with a soft knob of cotton, felt or velvet at the tip. The resonance box is usually made of teak and decorated with pieces of glass of various colors and gilt. Earlier the box constituted one body. Now it is made collapsible for easier transportation. Thought the slats are generally bamboo, there can also be brass or iron. The Myanmar pattala is tuned to the diatonic scale. However, Myanmar chau' pau' and hni pau' instead of being equivalent to international E and B notes are a semitone each Lower. The Myanmar pattala covers one octave below middle C and two octaves above thereby encompassing altogether three octaves. The Myanmar pattala is composed of the slats, the resonance box and the mallets. The beginner is trained to first play left and right strikers alternately in the "maun nin:" method of play. Then the student is trained to strike the mallets simultaneously using the "zoun" method. Traditionally, the player tearns to keep to the timing beats by playing the short music piece beginning "htan taya tei: shin" . They the player is taught the combined "htan", the combined "dun", the combined "djan" and the detached "djan".

Indigenous Medicine of Sri Lanka (Hela Wedakama) is an ancient wisdom tradition of healthcare and healing practices inherited by cultural heritage unique to native people. Indigenous medical knowledge and practices dispersed throughout the country are culture-bound repository of ancestral wisdom prevailed through generations. HELA WEDA MAHIMA is a sector-specific ICH production that presents most of ICH elements pertaining to livelihoods and craftsmanship associated with indigenous medical sector. Therefore selection of captions and stories should be very authentic and genuine to represent the heritage of culture and traditional identities of indigenous medicine in Sri Lanka. \n\nBeth varam ganima.\nPractitioners believe that they should get the permission from divine forces before initiate preparing medicine and they offer oblations for the sake of protection and better efficacy of the medicine. For this ritual they select an auspicious day and a time for offering the oblations with special recitations. These kinds of ICH practices significantly show the connection of nature with culture.

Indigenous Medicine of Sri Lanka (Hela Wedakama) is an ancient wisdom tradition of healthcare and healing practices inherited by cultural heritage unique to native people. Indigenous medical knowledge and practices dispersed throughout the country are culture-bound repository of ancestral wisdom prevailed through generations. HELA WEDA MAHIMA is a sector-specific ICH production that presents most of ICH elements pertaining to livelihoods and craftsmanship associated with indigenous medical sector. Therefore selection of captions and stories should be very authentic and genuine to represent the heritage of culture and traditional identities of indigenous medicine in Sri Lanka. \n\nLime cutting ritual.\nLime cutting, a healing ritual practice, is performed if the disease is not manageable only by medicine. Lime is considered as a sacred item that had been originated in heaven and gifted by divine beings to humans to be used in healing rituals. This rituals claims the expelling the evil-eye or evil-word or any other evil force that can cause health problems. Lime cutting is a commonly practiced healing ritual that is prescribed for the health problems caused by demonic forces too.

Indigenous Medicine of Sri Lanka (Hela Wedakama) is an ancient wisdom tradition of healthcare and healing practices inherited by cultural heritage unique to native people. Indigenous medical knowledge and practices dispersed throughout the country are culture-bound repository of ancestral wisdom prevailed through generations. HELA WEDA MAHIMA is a sector-specific ICH production that presents most of ICH elements pertaining to livelihoods and craftsmanship associated with indigenous medical sector. Therefore selection of captions and stories should be very authentic and genuine to represent the heritage of culture and traditional identities of indigenous medicine in Sri Lanka. \n\nRitual protection of medicine.\nPractitioners perform rituals to protect the medicinal preparations from malicious or demonic forces. They recite mantras and pirith to create positive energy and attract benefactor divine forces to protect the medicine. It is believed that the chanting pirith and reciting mantras will be providing healing powers too. Reciting pirith is a traditional cultural heritage of Buddhist society and indigenous medical lore has incorporated same etho into healing practices.

Indigenous Medicine of Sri Lanka (Hela Wedakama) is an ancient wisdom tradition of healthcare and healing practices inherited by cultural heritage unique to native people. Indigenous medical knowledge and practices dispersed throughout the country are culture-bound repository of ancestral wisdom prevailed through generations. HELA WEDA MAHIMA is a sector-specific ICH production that presents most of ICH elements pertaining to livelihoods and craftsmanship associated with indigenous medical sector. Therefore selection of captions and stories should be very authentic and genuine to represent the heritage of culture and traditional identities of indigenous medicine in Sri Lanka. \n\nReciting medicine.\nReciting a mantra intended for a specific disease before giving medicines to a patient is famed among indigenous practitioners curing chronic diseases that are under influence of demonic forces. Practitioners are capable of selecting specific ritual and mantras according to the patient's condition by going trough the horoscope. Also this kind of practice symbolizes the holistic approach of indigenous medicine that accepts the cosmic aspect of healing and curing diseases.

Indigenous Medicine of Sri Lanka (Hela Wedakama) is an ancient wisdom tradition of healthcare and healing practices inherited by cultural heritage unique to native people. Indigenous medical knowledge and practices dispersed throughout the country are culture-bound repository of ancestral wisdom prevailed through generations. HELA WEDA MAHIMA is a sector-specific ICH production that presents most of ICH elements pertaining to livelihoods and craftsmanship associated with indigenous medical sector. Therefore selection of captions and stories should be very authentic and genuine to represent the heritage of culture and traditional identities of indigenous medicine in Sri Lanka. \n\nAuspicious uprooting of medicine.\nIndigenous medical practitioners respect nature’s healing properties embedded in the plants with the blessings of divine forces dwelling in the trees. They believe that harvesting of such parts from a plant should be done after performing a special ritual. This ritual claims to gain the permission from the deities dwelling in tree.

Indigenous Medicine of Sri Lanka (Hela Wedakama) is an ancient wisdom tradition of healthcare and healing practices inherited by cultural heritage unique to native people. Indigenous medical knowledge and practices dispersed throughout the country are culture-bound repository of ancestral wisdom prevailed through generations. HELA WEDA MAHIMA is a sector-specific ICH production that presents most of ICH elements pertaining to livelihoods and craftsmanship associated with indigenous medical sector. Therefore selection of captions and stories should be very authentic and genuine to represent the heritage of culture and traditional identities of indigenous medicine in Sri Lanka. \n\nRitual submission of medicine.\nRituals in medicinal preparations are believed to increase the potent of the medicine and will have a supra-natural effect. They perform a ritual on the night before the roots of a medicinal tree are removed to get the permission of the deity abiding in that tree. This ritual symbolizes the cultural value system that supports the conservation of natural resources through propagating the divine healing power of nature as a living entity.

Indigenous Medicine of Sri Lanka (Hela Wedakama) is an ancient wisdom tradition of healthcare and healing practices inherited by cultural heritage unique to native people. Indigenous medical knowledge and practices dispersed throughout the country are culture-bound repository of ancestral wisdom prevailed through generations. HELA WEDA MAHIMA is a sector-specific ICH production that presents most of ICH elements pertaining to livelihoods and craftsmanship associated with indigenous medical sector. Therefore selection of captions and stories should be very authentic and genuine to represent the heritage of culture and traditional identities of indigenous medicine in Sri Lanka. \n\nEye glasses.\nMaking eye glasses with lens made up of quartz called Diyatharippu is a diminishing craft. It is preserved only by one family and, for obvious reasons, needs urgent safeguarding. Diyatharippu mineral is used as its raw material. This industry is not as popular as other crafts like brass or lace, but, like other craft industries, it also has a history as old as 14th century when Buwanekabahi IV, the first king of Gampola Kingdom, own a pair of Diyatharippu eye glasses.

Indigenous Medicine of Sri Lanka (Hela Wedakama) is an ancient wisdom tradition of healthcare and healing practices inherited by cultural heritage unique to native people. Indigenous medical knowledge and practices dispersed throughout the country are culture-bound repository of ancestral wisdom prevailed through generations. HELA WEDA MAHIMA is a sector-specific ICH production that presents most of ICH elements pertaining to livelihoods and craftsmanship associated with indigenous medical sector. Therefore selection of captions and stories should be very authentic and genuine to represent the heritage of culture and traditional identities of indigenous medicine in Sri Lanka. \n\nChopping medicinal materials.\nProcessing raw materials is an integral part of quality medicinal preparations like decoctions, oils, powders, pastes, pills, and other concoctions. According to traditional belief system when this is done manually medicines will be bearing better efficacy. Therefore all the traditional practitioners prefer to do all processing manually to preserve the natural qualities.

Indigenous Medicine of Sri Lanka (Hela Wedakama) is an ancient wisdom tradition of healthcare and healing practices inherited by cultural heritage unique to native people. Indigenous medical knowledge and practices dispersed throughout the country are culture-bound repository of ancestral wisdom prevailed through generations. HELA WEDA MAHIMA is a sector-specific ICH production that presents most of ICH elements pertaining to livelihoods and craftsmanship associated with indigenous medical sector. Therefore selection of captions and stories should be very authentic and genuine to represent the heritage of culture and traditional identities of indigenous medicine in Sri Lanka. \n\nRitual for earthly guardians.\nSome medicinal oils with supra-medical uses under the influence of malicious forces should be prepared with special ritualistic oblations to protect the oil from bad spirits and enhance its healing power. It is an overnight ritual to install the divine powers upon the site of manufacturing to safeguard the medicine. The ritual is performed by the practitioner assisted by his pupils or family members who should be observed special routines mannered according to restrictions and taboos.