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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... statue is more routinely Sinhala Buddhist, and its priest on the day is also Sinhala Buddhist. Finally, this practice is both led by ritual specialists (Sinhala Buddhist and Tamil Saivite) as well as by non-specialist worshippers ...
... statues, the material of the statues, and then in Chapter 6 the regular rites held daily, weekly, and monthly. This enables a contrast between the regular rites designed to maintain divine presence in the temples (puja), and the private ...
... statue of Bhadrakali ('Auspicious Kali') is the most famous temple to this fierce goddess in all of Sri Lanka, and is regarded by many Sinhala Buddhists as the entry-site for Kali when she first arrived (by stone ship) from India (see ...
... statue normally kept inside the inner sanctum but brought out for special festivals, most of which include processions where the Ambal statue is carried around the entire Munnesvaram settlement. The statue is regarded as quite ancient ...
... statue and Meru Yantra The Bhadrakali Statue Covered in Cooling Sandalwood Paste. – 24– The Domain of Constant Excess.
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 |