Description : The traditional Gam-maduwa or village hut ceremony, usually held after the harvest of crops, is dedicated to Goddess Pattini, the most popular south Indian female deity worshiped by Sinhala Buddhists. It takes place in an enclosure surrounding a palm thatched hut. A portion of first harvested crop or fruit is offered to the Goddess for prosperity and to ward off misfortune and diseases. A gam-maduwa has many interludes dramatized mainly from rich legendary lore about the goddess Pattini. At present Gam-mduwa is held in rare occasions, therefore it draws visitors even from other villages. Mukalana, Colombo, Sri Lanka. August 12, 2007.