Abstract:
Many foreign cultural influences shaped the tradition of Sri Lanka throughout the history. Traditional customs,
norms, values, believes were mixed with different foreign cultural values and norms and came to practice then made our
own tradition, original agent of influence is hardly evident. Sri Lankan tradition is a hybrid form of multicultural values
which have been experienced and learned throughout the history of Sri Lanka. The Kandyan era(1464-1815 AD) during
which most foreign influences came to Sri Lanka within a short period of time, namely South Indian, Western (Portuguese,
Dutch, British), Siamese. These influences have caused a huge impact on Sri Lankan society in every aspect. The changes
that occurred in Sri Lankan dress from these influences were considerable. The foreign influences reflected in the royal
and elite headgear was a result of association and adaptation of foreign sources. The objective of the paper is to discuss
how foreign cultural influences affected and showcase a unique identity in headgears of the Kings and elite of the Kingdom
of Kandy of Sri Lanka. The research was carried out by studying wall paintings, sculptures, inscriptions of the period and
reviewing ancient literature. Reliability of the data was confirmed by cross-checking data.
