Paritta in Pali language means protection or safeguard.Chanting of Paritta Sutras or the words of the Buddha has been practiced byBuddhists for well over 2500 years, mainly to foster peace, harmony and to keepoff evil.   Sri Lankans follow this Buddhist tradition as referred toin Sinhala as Pirith to seek protection from various afflictions and inovercoming bad karmas. Monks recite these Sutras in all night chantingceremonies.  Usually the monks sit in a Mandapaya or a temporary chamberto chant sutras in Pali. A pot of water and white thread among the devotees arepart of the ceremony. At the end of  the ceremony the participants aregiven a protective ‘pirith noola’ a thread bracelet as a token of personalprotection against maladies.