The Sanni Yakuma (also called) Kurunas Thovil, is an exorcistic ceremony performed by a group of healers with the support of the entire community in southern Sir Lanka. The general idea is to call into being embodiments of the forces that are felt to cause sickness and, in the process, to strip these demonic forces of their power and re-integrate the sick person into the life of the community. The Sanniya masks are used exclusively for these ceremonies, depicting images of the various disease causing demons.