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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Page 3
I stress this apparent sense, however, for while at one moment the fluidity of social and religious categories appears to be asserted by a unity of purpose in temple worship at Munnesvaram, in the next moment the temples display the ...
I stress this apparent sense, however, for while at one moment the fluidity of social and religious categories appears to be asserted by a unity of purpose in temple worship at Munnesvaram, in the next moment the temples display the ...
Page 4
... important temple complex of its kind in all Sri Lanka and one that bears comparison with Munnesvaram in several respects that will be explored in the course of this work. However, where authors like Obeyesekere and Gombrich stress ...
... important temple complex of its kind in all Sri Lanka and one that bears comparison with Munnesvaram in several respects that will be explored in the course of this work. However, where authors like Obeyesekere and Gombrich stress ...
Page 6
I stress the dynamism of which the bathing rite bo tree is one small vignette, and I stress the role of the broad body of worshippers as members of a public that is actively constitutive of this dynamism of both design and rite.
I stress the dynamism of which the bathing rite bo tree is one small vignette, and I stress the role of the broad body of worshippers as members of a public that is actively constitutive of this dynamism of both design and rite.
Page 8
I state that the temples express in a refractive manner, rather than reflect or represent, in order to stress that temples do not simply reflect social relations whose reality lies elsewhere, rather they constitute nodal points in the ...
I state that the temples express in a refractive manner, rather than reflect or represent, in order to stress that temples do not simply reflect social relations whose reality lies elsewhere, rather they constitute nodal points in the ...
Page 27
I stress that the differences are not firm and mistaken identity is common. Many Tamils, for example, have survived murderous Sinhalese mobs during ethnic riots because the rioters could not guess their ethnicity.23 The combination of ...
I stress that the differences are not firm and mistaken identity is common. Many Tamils, for example, have survived murderous Sinhalese mobs during ethnic riots because the rioters could not guess their ethnicity.23 The combination of ...
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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 |
Other editions - View all
The Domain of Constant Excess: Plural Worship at the Munnesvaram Temples in ... Rohan Bastin No preview available - 2002 |
Common terms and phrases
according action active aesthetic Ambal annual associated attend bathing becomes Bhadrakali temple body Brahmins called caste central century Chapter Chilaw closely coconut complex condition deities demonic described developed devotees discussion divine especially ethnic example existence expression festival Figure flag front goddess ground guardian hall Hindu human important Indian inside involves Jaffna Kali Kataragama king lamp land marked meaning movement Munnesvaram temple myth nature Navaratri noted Obeyesekere offerings origin Pattini pattuva performed Pillaiyar popular possibility potency potentiality practice presence priests procession puja regard region relation religious remains reveals rite ritual Saivite temple sense shrine simply Sinh Sinhala Buddhist Sinhalese situation Siva social sorcery space specific Sri Lanka statue stress symbolic takes Tamil Saivite temple’s theme traditions tree village worship
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Domain of Constant Excess: Plural Worship at the Munnesvaram Temples in Sri Lanka |
| Author | Rohan Bastin |
| Publisher | Berghahn Books, 2002 |
| ISBN | 1789203678, 9781789203677 |
| Length | 254 pages |
| Subjects | › › Religion / General Social Science / Anthropology / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |