Anusha Handicrafts, just outside Kollupitiya Market by Liberty Junction, is an odd place and something of an overwhelming experience, crammed as it is from floor to ceiling with teetering piles of assorted hand-carved wooden curios.
They specialise almost solely in ‘traditional’ Sri Lankan objects carved from different types of wood; selling some masks, wooden elephants and other animals, various Hindu and Buddhist statues, and a few musical instruments and tableware items. Sadly though, their approach seems to be quantity and no real variety as the items they have come in varying sizes but the overall range of items to choose from is fairly limited.
Although the range is limited, Anusha’s curious are inexpensive for the most part. Prices marked on the items themselves were pretty decent, but, possibly owing to the colour of my face, everything that didn’t have a price tag was rather expensive in comparison. I didn’t try to haggle as I wasn’t fussed about purchasing carvings at the time, but bargaining may be worth a try on things you like that don’t have a tag on them.
If it is wood-carvings you’re after then it’s worth stopping in at the shop should you happen to be in the area, but if it’s a range of souvenirs you want, consider heading to one of the other souvenir shops in that part of town such as Lanka Hands near Bambalapitiya Junction.
