Raja means king, and the Raja Gurulu is the bird demon at its most regal. A crown of three raised cobras and orange feathers tops the head, two wings spread wide at the sides, and between them a green, finely scaled face narrows to a sharp red beak.
The detail. The three crown cobras are white with black heads and hoods netted in red and yellow. A fourth, smaller cobra lifts its head between the eyes, and its body loops down and around the beak, the Gurulu's prey caught in the moment of capture. The large eyes are black and white, and the yellow wings are painted feather by feather in red and black, with a small round opening in the scroll at the base of each.
In tradition. The Gurulu is the mythical bird of Sri Lankan folklore, the enemy of the naga cobra. It is one of the Raksha masks made on the island's southern coast; compare the Mal Gurulu and Gurulu Raksha masks, or read about Raksha masks.
Size. Made at 25 cm (10 in) tall, with a hollow carved face, separately fitted wings and a crown, all painted by hand. The back is left as bare wood. Each piece varies slightly from the photographs.
