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The Ceylonese gypsy: the vanishing clan?-by Dishan Joseph Image Source:Dailynews Source:Dailynews From snake charmers to shadowed memories Secrets of Sri Lanka’s forgotten nomads To many of us, one of the familiar sights around Colombo city were the sasthara women walking about with the proud proclamation of being able to tell your future by reading your palm. The women often aged between twenty and forty years were clad in printed sarees with their lips stained red by chewing beetle and wearing a mookuthi (nose ring). At times they were accompanied by males who displayed their prowess at ‘charming’ deadly snakes, including the King Cobra. Other men with a cheerful spirit would mesmerize the children using a trained monkey: the creature performed a routine of stunts and then brought forth a hat to collect his dues. The few seniors from the ‘Ceylon’ vintage I have met talk about their gypsy encounters. So ...