How do I get small notes for tipping without breaking 5000 rupee bills awkwardly

Several easy ways. (1) When you make any small purchase early in your trip - a bottle of water from a Cargills supermarket, a cup of tea at a roadside shop - pay with a 5000 and ask politely "small notes please". Cargills/Keells almost always have stacks of 100s and 500s. (2) Visit any bank branch (Commercial Bank, Sampath, Peoples Bank) during business hours and ask the teller to "exchange this 5000 for small notes" - they do it for free in under a minute. (3) Specifically AVOID asking tuk-tuk drivers, market vendors or small kades to break 5000 notes - they often "do not have change" as a polite refusal because they really do not, or it ties up their float for hours. (4) Best stash for a trip: a roll of 100s for porters/bathroom attendants, a stack of 500s for tuk-tuks, and a few 1000s for restaurants. (5) Withdraw at ATMs that offer smaller denominations - some Commercial Bank ATMs dispense 1000s and 2000s; check the on-screen options before confirming withdrawal.