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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... Batticaloa CHILAW D edu ra Oya Kurunegala Kandy Negombo Colombo Adam's Peak Kataragama Galle Matara Figure 1.1 Map of Sri Lanka N Jaffna CHAPTER 1 WORSHIP, DIFFERENCE AND MARVELLOUS POTENTIALITY 5 When Jesuit. – xxiv –
... (Figure 1.1). The port is formed by a large lagoon near the mouth of the River Dedura, which offers all-year anchorage to small fishing boats, nowadays mostly fibreglass powerboats. The port figured in the once busy trade systems ...
... Figure 2.1 and page 21). A paved road runs from Chilaw to Munnesvaram and continues past the settlement eventually reaching the interior township of Kurunegala about 60 km away. Halfway between Munnesvaram and Kurunegala is the small ...
... figures and geo-political events with such guardian deity traditions (Kapferer 1997a, nd). By the second half of the sixteenth century, Madampe was ruled by princes aligned with the Sitavaka kingdom against the Portuguese-backed kingdom ...
... Figure 2.1 overleaf) Commencing with the smallest, the Pillaiyar temple (Tm. kovil) is the original rest house (madam). It is run by the descendants of south Indian artisans who were brought to Munnesvaram to conduct major renovations ...
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 |