Kandyan dance, a traditional dance of Sri Lanka, was performed in Lumbini on Saturday. Domestic and foreign tourists, present during the performance, were enthralled by the dance form which is part of Sinhalese culture in Sri Lanka.

Kandyan dance refers to a variety of dance styles that originated in and are performed in the Kandy district of Sri Lanka’s Central Hills region, also known as Udarata. The dance thrived under the Kandyan rulers from the 16th through the 19th century, and it is now regarded as Sri Lanka’s national dance.

A team of seven people arrived from Sri Lanka to perform the dance in Lumbini. The team, led by Sri Lankan choreographer and journalist Nalin Maligaspe, consisted of students of Kathakali dance. 

Here are some photographs of the dance performance captured by Post reporter Manoj Poudel.