File:Traditional Sri Lankan Nursing Mother's Alms giving ceremony - Nursing Mother's giving their blessing to the Family members.jpg

English: Nursing Mothers' Alms-Giving, or Kiri-ammāwarungè dānaya, is a cherished tradition in Sri Lanka, where communities seek solace and healing from Goddess Pattini, also known as Kannaki Amman. During times of illness, believed to be divine retribution, families come together to offer prayers, offerings, and acts of charity to invoke Pattini Devi's benevolence. Originating from historical narratives dating back to King Gajabahu I's reign, the ritual symbolizes communal solidarity and faith in divine intervention.

It holds profound significance during times of Birth of a Child into a Family too, where they tend to get blessings from the Goddess Pattini for the newborn. Among the Sinhalese people, ailments like chickenpox and measles are perceived as punishments from God for human frailties, amidst such challenges, the community turns to the revered goddess of healing, Pattini Devi, for solace and intervention. Goddess Pattini occupies a central place in the collective consciousness as a guardian deity of the island, embodying attributes of fertility, health, and protection. The ritual of Nursing Mothers' Alms-Giving emerges as a tangible expression of devotion and supplication to Pattini Devi during times of illness, particularly when a family member is afflicted. The act of Nursing Mothers' Alms-Giving symbolizes a communal endeavor, where prayers, offerings, and acts of charity converge to invoke the benevolence where Seven women attend the offering to symbolize seven forms of goddess Pattini. Not all women can take part in this special Kiri Amma Dana offered to goddess Pattini. Women who aren’t married, infertile women, wanton women, women who take liquor, women who sell fish, meat and liquor, hearing and visually impaired women, very old and feeble women, women who are suffering from skin diseases and epilepsy, disabled women, paralysed women, widows, women whose all children are dead. Are not eligible to take part in Kiri Amma Dane as a Kiri Amma. Most importantly, women who are menstruating on that particular day are prohibited to attend this particular liturgical ceremony. The traditional sweetmeats play a vital role in this special liturgical ceremony. Seven pieces of seven types of traditional Sri Lankan sweetmeat is offered. The sweetmeats prepared for Kiri Amma Danaya should not be tasted prior to it being offered to the Goddess as a belief. This religious ceremony begins in the early morning and finishes prior to the day break. Number seven is given a significance in this offering because the villagers believe that goddess Pattini has seven incarnations which are Siddha Pattini, Salamba Pattini, Amba Pattini, Mal Pattini, Gini Pattini, Dewa Pattini and Sath Pattini.

However, it is unfortunate that such traditional practices are getting diminished with time, but yet they can be often seen in the rural areas of Sri Lanka.