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
Results 6-10 of 49
... shrines, relic shrines and resident monks vimåna (Skt.) – the tower above the temple inner sanctum vimarsa (Skt.) – 'critical juncture', the point of appearance. Key concept in Kashmiri ́Saivism where it refers to self-awareness as a ...
... shrine to the Sinhala Buddhist sorcery deity Suniyam.9 He described how he used this bo tree throughout the year for ... shrines mirror the Munnesvaram complex as a whole, for at Munnesvaram, the Kali temple (which includes a bo tree ...
... shrine created, in effect, by the Munnesvaram deities and by the dynamic of religious practice, both Tamil Saivite and Sinhala Buddhist. For, while the sponsor of the Kali shrine is Tamil Saivite, the aesthetic style of his shrine with ...
... shrines enables the reintegration of fragmented individual experience in the circumstances of such power. However, simply ascribing power to relations of domination privileges ideas of fracture and reintegration without exploring the ...
... shrine at the edge of Madampe town (Bell 1920).8 The nature of this deity is closely linked with the regional guardian god whom I discuss below. Vital to the bandara tradition is the weaving of historical figures and geo-political ...
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 |