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
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... ritual specialist with knowledge of the sastra manuals, often associated with healing rites and sorcery Satara Satipa†hana Sutta (Sinh.) – Buddhist text on the nature of bodily decay; an iconographic feature of representations of the ...
... ritual. tattvas (Skt.) – principles derived from the elements ther (Tm.) – temple chariot thîbam (Tm.) – camphor lamp timiti (Tm.) – firewalking tîrtha (Skt.) the ford or crossing, name for a temple, name of special bathing rite at end ...
... ritual sponsor, the sacrificer yajana (or yajña) (Tm.) – sacrificer yala (Sinh.) – main rice paddy harvest yantra (Skt. ), yantram (Tm.) – special design serving ritual purpose of binding the energy of deities to space ya†apila (Sinh ...
... ritual practice of the south Indian Hindu and specifically Saivite temple.3 The worshippers, though, are drawn from all over Sri Lanka and are predominantly Buddhist and Sinhalese – an ethnic community with a distinct language as well ...
... ritual. I am interested in what is 'dramatic' or critical about Munnesvaram as an aspect of the temples' popularity.6 The thesis I pursue is that the religious appeal of a complex like Munnesvaram continually emerges from the diversity ...
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 |