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. |
From inside the book
Page 3
... attend the bathing and the almsgiving that follows. I attended my first festival in 1985 having already studied a number of Tamil temple festivals from the Eastern Province. The procession and bathing seemed to me to be following a ...
... attend the bathing and the almsgiving that follows. I attended my first festival in 1985 having already studied a number of Tamil temple festivals from the Eastern Province. The procession and bathing seemed to me to be following a ...
Page 10
... attending to make their special requests to the goddesses. For someone born and raised in Australia, and of largely Irish Catholic ancestry, this situation always seemed odd. For I had grown up being told (for the most part ...
... attending to make their special requests to the goddesses. For someone born and raised in Australia, and of largely Irish Catholic ancestry, this situation always seemed odd. For I had grown up being told (for the most part ...
Page 22
... attended and supported Pusparamaya, but apart from the classrooms on school days, Pusparamaya was fairly quiet. So too was the Aiyanayake temple, which opened once a week in the late afternoon, and every day during the annual festival ...
... attended and supported Pusparamaya, but apart from the classrooms on school days, Pusparamaya was fairly quiet. So too was the Aiyanayake temple, which opened once a week in the late afternoon, and every day during the annual festival ...
Page 27
... attending. Combining this with similar efforts from my research assistant I was able to build up a picture of the ... attended I estimated the size of the crowd and attempted to discern its ethnic composition. Sinhalese and Tamils are ...
... attending. Combining this with similar efforts from my research assistant I was able to build up a picture of the ... attended I estimated the size of the crowd and attempted to discern its ethnic composition. Sinhalese and Tamils are ...
Page 28
... attend the Munnesvaram temple for activities ranging from breaking a coconut at the side entrance and not entering the temple to participating in one of the scheduled temple rites (Skt. nityapuja) or making a private offering (Tm ...
... attend the Munnesvaram temple for activities ranging from breaking a coconut at the side entrance and not entering the temple to participating in one of the scheduled temple rites (Skt. nityapuja) or making a private offering (Tm ...
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