The Domain of Constant Excess: Plural Worship at the Munnesvaram Temples in Sri LankaThe Sri Lankan ethnic conflict that has occurred largely between Sinhala Buddhists and Tamil Hindus is marked by a degree of religious tolerance that sees both communities worshiping together. This study describes one important site of such worship, the ancient Hindu temple complex of Munnesvaram. Standing adjacent to one of Sri Lanka's historical western ports, the fortunes of the Munnesvaram temples have waxed and waned through the years of turbulence, violence and social change that have been the country's lot since the advent of European colonialism in the Indian Ocean. Bastin recounts the story of these temples and analyses how the Hindu temple is reproduced as a center of worship amidst conflict and competition. |
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... situation as a Hindu temple. In doing so I hope to shed light on the nature of the Hindu temple and to explore the marvellous potentiality of Hindu temples as remarkable human achievements. The Polysemy of the Hindu Sacred in the ...
... situation always seemed odd. For I had grown up being told (for the most part halfheartedly) to pray for peace in Northern Ireland in a country where one can frequently observe exclusive Catholic and Protestant churches squared-off ...
... situation, a situation that affects Munnesvaram more profoundly than it – 16 – The Domain of Constant Excess.
Plural Worship at the Munnesvaram Temples in Sri Lanka Rohan Bastin. situation, a situation that affects Munnesvaram more profoundly than it does its famous Siva temple counterparts in Sri Lanka, precisely because of its west coast ...
... situation remains unchanged. It remains to be seen whether the Munnesvaram priests would change the Pillaiyar temple were they to be successful in their litigation. The Aiyanayake temple is a Sinhala Buddhist deity shrine (Sinh. devale) ...
Contents
1 | |
15 | |
Chapter 3 Myths and Marginality | 43 |
Chapter 4 Ritual Practices and Religious Identity | 59 |
Chapter 5 The Saivite Temple as a Monumental Architecture | 89 |
Puja and Arccanai | 117 |
Chapter 7 The Presence of Sakti | 133 |
Chapter 8 Guardians Games and the Formation of Power | 145 |
Chapter 9 The World Inside Out | 163 |
Chapter 10 The Domain of Excess | 183 |
Divine Kings and Regal Gods Temples in Society and History | 195 |
References | 213 |
Index | 227 |
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The Domain of Constant Excess: Plural Worship at the Munnesvaram Temples in ... Rohan Bastin No preview available - 2002 |