Raksha means “demon” and the masks are expected to hold an enchanted power intended to ward off evil. They are painted in vibrant colours, with bulging eyes and swelling tongues accompanying snakes and other enhancements as they depict various types of demons.
Raksha Masks are a mythical facet of the Kolam ritual which is performed using these masks to date, they are known as a tribute to the Rakshasas, Legend has it that these represent a race that is rumoured to have been in Sri Lanka and could assume 24 different mythical forms.
