Source:Island
Lakpahana situated in Colombo 07, across from the Colombo Race Course opened its doors in December 1973. It was founded by Deshamanya Mrs. Siva Obeyesekere. It has gained popularity amongst customers for its wide array of Sri Lankan handicrafts, offering an extensive range of choice for local and foreign customers. Lakpahana is a traditional Sri Lankan gift and souvenir shop. For more than 47 years it has marketed and sustained Sri Lankan handicrafts. Recommended by Trip Advisor, a member of the World Crafts Council and with many UNESCO Excellence Awards for its crafts, Lakpahana is truly representative of Sri Lanka’s rich craft heritage.
Sri Lankan handicraft production has been traditionally handed down generation to generation. Handicrafts have a strong link to the environment and to Sri Lankan way of life. Sri Lanka is well known for its beautiful crafts. It consists of many different products made out of many different raw materials. Folk crafts of a country also reveal a historical process of evolution in relation to the concept, quality, techniques and material used. Craftsmen attached to Lakpahana have earned an international reputation for quality, originality, variety of designs and motifs. Most of the finished products are fascinating expression of local concepts. One of the main objectives of Lakpahana is to preservation the diversity of Sri Lankan handicrafts. Crafts are the symbols of a particular culture.
Lakpahana is the one of the largest and most exclusive store of its kind in Sri Lanka. It brings together the right quality and standard of all Sri Lanka’s arts and crafts under one roof. Here you will find beautiful handicrafts with over 2500 years of tradition, medieval period arts and crafts and modern Sri Lankan crafts and designs. It represents a special bond of commercialism combined with traditionalism offering services to upgrade the social economic position of the craftsman.
Lakpahana is a store which has exquisite silverware, silver jewellery, elegant brass, copper, oxidized and pewter ware, beautifully patterned dumbara and pung weaving mats, ladies handbags, delicate lacquer ware, intricate wood carvings, reed and rush ware, handloom items, embroidery, lace work, batik, educational toys, painted wooden wall hangings, earthenware are some of the better known handicrafts.
Today with the changes in social trends, handicrafts have taken on a new dimension. They are now not only artifacts of beauty but are utilitarian objects absorbed into modern day living. Most handicrafts use traditional motifs, colours and designs for decoration. The demand for new designs from the existing range of handicrafts and new innovations adopting traditional techniques and motifs are constantly increasing. The crafts people and artisans of Lakpahana strike a balance between tradition and modern day trends by combining two or more raw materials finding new uses for existing handicrafts and by introducing modern art in the way of colours, motifs and techniques. Finding new utility value for traditional crafts or by adding value to the existing range, these crafts have been transformed into articles for modern day living.
Lakpahana unique “Sugar and Spice” outlet has some of the favourite Sri Lankan sweetmeats, pickles and chutneys. Searching for the most delicious and freshly made traditional treats? Head over to Lakpahana and indulge. Choosing from a variety of items such as stuffed veralu, coconut toffee and kalu dodol. The items are made fresh on a daily basis. Everyday favourites such as murukku, marshmallows, aasmi, kokis, kavum and mung kavum are available in addition to neatly wrapped packages of love cake, rich cake, bibikkan and jaggery cake.
