Ceylon Piha-kaetta (?)

[Tatyana Dianova]

I vote for South India too; to be more specific, for Tamil Nadu.
I base my attribution on the handle decoration; the blade may be European. Alas, Spiral’s pictures are gone, but if I remember the details correctly, the handle ornaments are very similar to the traditional jewelry pieces of Tamil Nadu, as well as the Swami jewelry from Madras.
First, look at the gold Hindu marriage necklaces worn by Chettiar women in Tamil Nadu as the sign of marriage; it is removed upon being widowed. On the central ornament pendant the goddess Lakshmi is depicted, sometimes surrounded by the birds, apsaras, lions, yalis, etc. They look pretty similar to the top part of the dagger in question.