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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... devotees regularly fall into trance, curse their enemies, and offer blood sacrifice. Those who think of Munnesvaram in such terms will not necessarily share the Jesuits' proselytising fantasy and desire. Indeed, many may well be drawn ...
... devotees would often explain that Munnesvaram has 'haskam', a Sinhala word that describes extraordinary religious power. Haskam can be expressed as the miraculous appearance of a statue, the ease with which devotees fall into trance at ...
... devotees. The region is ethnically ambiguous and the local dialect is a Sinhala-Tamil mixture. However, a large portion of the devotional population comes from outside and they come to Munnesvaram for its special power to influence ...
... devotees. These myths concern the origin of the temples and/or the origin of certain deities in the temples. Comparative discussion of the myths reveals important characteristics of Munnesvaram in the sacred geography of the island ...
... devotees to the ritual world of the temple priests: the way the priests perceive the religious potency of their respective temples, and how they go about cultivating and maintaining this potency in the context of such a strong Sinhala ...
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 |