scholarly journals Small Deity Worship in Sri Lanka: A Comparative Study Based on Hindu and Buddhist Religious Traditions

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 99-107
Author(s):  
Gunapalasingam V

The People who have not only multi ethnic, multi -religious and multi -languages in Sri Lanka but also, they follow different beliefs and cultural traditions as well.  Hindu and Buddhist religious and cultural traditions are very prominent in Sri Lanka. Even though India is the root cause for the prevailing Hindu and Buddhist traditions in Sri Lanka, both the traditions and its worships and beliefs have unique and independent characteristics different from India. Small deity worship comprises of unique and independent characteristics in Sri Lanka. Small Deity worship in Hindu tradition: Kazhippu ritual, temple ritual, Kumara Deiva worship, Vairava worship, Pathini Amman worship, tree worship, Naga thampiran worship and small deity worship in Buddhist tradition: Thovil, Magapirith, katharagama deio, Bahirava, Pathini Deio, Bothi tree, Maga Naga are compared and identified unique and innovative characteristics among them.  In this research, historical method, comparative method and descriptive method have been used. Data gathered from field work are considered as primary sources and data gathered from literature, research articles, manuscripts, etc. considered as secondary sources.  Knowing origin and background of Hindu and Buddhist religion, identifying characteristics of small deity worship in Hindu and Buddhist tradition in Sri Lanka, discovering unique and innovative characteristics of small deity worship of Hindu and Buddhist traditions and evaluating values revealed by the two traditions are objectives of the research. Research area for this study is Magoya Divisional Secretary and Eravur Pattu Divisional Secretary.  The conclusion of the research is that the small deity worships of the above two traditions fulfills psychological needs of the concerned people and small deity worship beliefs and traditions of Hindu and Buddhist religions will continue for long time.

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 1-43
Author(s):  
Stephen C. Berkwitz

The aim of this paper is to theorize broadly about how cultural encounters between Asian Buddhists and European Christians spurred various efforts to demarcate, systematize, and stabilize religious traditions. It focuses on the dynamics seen in Buddhist responses to contact situations from the sixteenth century onwards in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Japan in order to map out some patterns of interaction among these communities. Theories of cultural imitation and independence do not suffice to theorize interreligious encounters in these cases. Using select examples, this paper will contend that Asian Buddhists often responded to various kinds of European interventions by redefining and reimagining the Buddhist tradition in new ways in order to argue for its continued validity and to secure its stability in the face of external encounters and pressures.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (02) ◽  
pp. 240-259
Author(s):  
Celia Lopes Azevedo ◽  
Ana Paula Glinfskoi Thé ◽  
Renilson Soares dos Santos ◽  
Rony Enderson de Oliveira

O presente artigo objetiva analisar e discutir algumas repercussões socioculturais, especificamente no que diz respeito às tradições religiosas, culturais, laços de parentesco e identidade coletiva das pessoas realocadas para o assentamento Araras, município de Francisco Sá - MG, decorrentes da construção da Usina Hidrelétrica de Irapé, no Rio Jequitinhonha, entre os municípios de Berilo e Grão Mogol, no Norte de Minas Gerais. O trabalho valeu-se de pesquisas: bibliográfica, exploratória e estudo de caso, com trabalho de campo viabilizado por entrevistas semiestruturadas. Os resultados evidenciaram que no novo lugar, as pessoas experimentaram prejuízo à continuidade de práticas religiosas e comprometimento das tradições culturais e laços de parentesco, além da quebra da identidade coletiva. Palavras-chave: Irapé. Identidade. Parentesco. Assentamento.   REVOLVED LAND AND TRADITIONS: impacts of the construction of the UHE Irapé, in the religious traditions, cultural and kinship relations of peoples compulsorily moved to Araras ABSTRACT This article aims to analyze and discuss some sociocultural implications, specifically with regard to the religious traditions, cultural ties of kinship and collective identity of persons relocated for nesting Araras, municipality of Francisco Sá - MG, resulting from the construction of the Irapé hydroelectric plant, in the Jequitinhonha River, between the municipalities of Berilo and Grão Mogol, in the North of Minas Gerais. The job cost is searches: literature, exploratory and case study, with field work made possible by semi-structured interviews. The results showed that in the new place, people have experienced prejudice to the continuity of religious practices and commitment of cultural traditions and ties of kinship, in addition to the breakdown of the collective identity. Keywords: Irapé. Identity. Kinship. Settlement   TERRAS Y TRADICIONES REVOLVIDAS: impactos de la construcción de la UHE de Irapé, en las tradiciones religiosas, culturales y relaciones de parentesco de los pueblos obligadamente desplazados hacia Araras RESUMEN El presente artículo objetiva analizar y discutir algunas repercusiones socioculturales, específicamente en lo que se refiere a las tradiciones religiosas, culturales, lazos de parentesco e identidad colectiva de las personas reubicadas para el asentamiento Araras, municipio de Francisco Sá - MG, resultantes de la construcción de la Usina Hidroeléctrica Irapé, en el Río Jequitinhonha, entre los municipios de Berilo y Gran Mogol, en el Norte de Minas Gerais. El trabajo se valió de investigaciones: bibliográfica, exploratoria y estudio de caso, con trabajo de campo viabilizado por entrevistas semiestructuradas. Los resultados evidenciaron que, en el nuevo lugar, las personas experimentaron perjuicio a la continuidad de prácticas religiosas y comprometimiento de las tradiciones culturales y lazos de parentesco, además de la quiebra de la identidad colectiva. Palabras-clave: Irapé. Identidad. Parentesco. Asentamiento.


1987 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth David Jackson

This study analyzes the oral traditions of Sri Lanka Creole Portuguese as a syncretism of European, African, and Asian sources, evidenced in literary themes, linguistic practice, and cultural traditions. Resulting musical, dramatic, and textual practices play a central role in defining tradition and maintaining group identity in the creole communities. Both the co-existence and the interrelationship of oral texts establish traditions which contribute to a system of creole culture that spread throughout Asia. References are primarily to Sri Lankan and Indian materials collected by scholars in the late nineteenth century and during my field work in the 1970s and 1980s. Sri Lankan verses refer to the east coast Burghers of Bat-ticaloa and Trincomalee and to the Kaffirs of Puttalam. This study also presents for the first time a unique source for data and comparative analysis from the H. Nevill collection at the British Library, which is an extensive manuscript of Sri Lankan Creole texts from the 1870s or 1880s written in Dutch orthography and including material subsequently published by Schuchardt, Dalgado, and others. The theoretical focus concerns the translation of European, African, and Asian materials into a Eurasian discourse that displaces the originals, creating a new textual system of Portuguese Creole oral materials in Asia. The texts that give definition to creole culture have proved remarkably persistent, surviving in Sri Lanka from the seventeenth century to the present.


Author(s):  
S.M. Aliff

Following the end of the thirty years old civil war in Sri Lanka, there were expectations that the post‐war period would usher in peace, development and reconciliation. The last four years have witnessed several positive developments including resettlement of people and rehabilitation of infrastructure. Nonetheless there are range of problems and policy gaps that have hindered the transition from war to sustainable peace. A key post-war challenge is that of violence against religious sites and members of religious communities. More recently, from last year, there has been an unprecedented level of violent attacks, demonstrations and hate speech targeting Sri Lanka’s Muslim population. It noted a ‘sharp uptick’ in religiously-motivated violence and said the authorities are ‘passively and sometimes actively’ condoning extremist Buddhist groups, Mainly perpetrated by Buddhist-fascist fundamentalist groups, such as the ‘Bodu Bala Sena’ or ‘Buddhist power force’ and the Hela Urmaya or Sinhala Heritage Party are the main groups behind these targeting of Muslims.The events have left the country’s second largest minority community - the Muslims feeling afraid and vulnerable which forcing a concerted campaign against them. In addition to attacks on places of religious worship there are calls to boycott Muslim shops and establishments, all of which is increasing tensions, particularly in areas where Muslims and Sinhalese live close to each other. These were virtually programmed by some prominent and influential personalities in governing circles, besides others who had a vested interest in seeing Sri Lanka imploding amid heightening ‘communal tensions.’On this context, this study focuses on the recent incident of violence against Muslims in Sri Lanka. The primary objective of this study is to examine the motive for violence against Muslims as well as impact of the violence. The fundamental questions of this research are the following: why does post-war violence and hate propaganda arise against Muslim in Sri Lanka? In which ways the violence against minorities, particularly Muslims impact on reconciliation process? And why does Buddhist nationalist hegemony arise soon after civil war in Sri Lanka? This study is based on an interpretive approach. The data were collected from both primary and secondary sources. In addition to primary sources, qualitative interviews were conducted with selected specialist on this particular research area. I conclude that after end of war against LTTE by government of Sri Lanka, religious tension has been increased in the recent past and the government’s reluctance even to take firm action against to perpetrators which would be helpful in restoring the rule of law and security of Sri Lankan minorities has been a big hurdle in the post-conflict situation and government are perceived to serve only the Buddhist side and to marginalize those holding legitimate grievances.


Author(s):  
Saseela Balagobei ◽  
Thirunavukkarasu Velnampy

The relevant literature suggests that ownership structure is one of the main corporate governance mechanisms influencing the scope of financial performance. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between ownership structure and financial performance of listed beverage food and tobacco companies for the period of 2010-2015. This study also examines the impact of ownership structure on financial performance. The sample consists of 10 listed beverage food and tobacco companies in Sri Lanka. In this study, data was collected from secondary sources and hypotheses are examined by using Pearson’s correlation and regression analysis. The results reveal that ownership concentration and foreign ownership structure are positively correlated with financial performance of listed beverage food and tobacco companies while institutional ownership structure isn’t significantly correlated with financial performance. It is also found that there is a significant impact of foreign ownership structure on financial performance. Higher the foreign ownership structure in listed beverage food and tobacco companies, the higher the financial performance which is preferable for the shareholders and it improves the wealth of companies.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Niromi Seram ◽  
Rivini Mataraarachchi ◽  
Thanuri Jayaneththi

Purpose Exercising is a key approach adopted by muscular dystrophy patients to halt the weakening of muscles as it can eventually lead to serious immobility issues. Though it is essential to exercise on a daily basis for healthy living, there is no mention of any research effort in the current literature regarding the development of an apparel product for these mobility-affected patients that might assist them both in meeting their exercising needs and providing them some comfort in their daily living. Thus, this paper aims to focus on identifying the specific needs of muscular dystrophy victims and proposing special adaptive clothing solutions to support their daily exercise and mobility needs. Design/methodology/approach To achieve the objectives of this study, attention was focused on the muscular dystrophy afflicted women in Sri Lanka. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the female victims of muscular dystrophy and their lifestyles were observed carefully; additional data were gathered by holding semi-structured interviews with their physiotherapists. Further, interviews were conducted with both garment technologists and fabric technologists too. Data gathered through these methods were analyzed qualitatively using the principles of thematic analysis and then aggregate conclusions were drawn. Findings It was observed that the patients were engaged in special activities such as exercising three times a day besides following their normal day-to-day activities to maintain and develop muscle strength. It soon became evident that these women found it difficult to perform their daily exercise routines with their regular clothing and were looking for custom made clothing they could wear all day long in comfort and avoid the problems that arose while exercising. The study specifies the requirements that must be met to satisfy both generic and specific needs. Considering all these aspects some adaptive clothing solutions were proposed to support daily exercising activity with respect to comfort, convenience, health and safety, as well as socio-cultural and psychological needs. Originality/value The area of fusing generic and specific features to support the daily exercising needs of muscular dystrophy victims is an untouched field of experimentation and being a need of the disabled, the present study marks a milestone on the way to a novel area of apparel design, besides exploring a new field of research.


2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Z. Miller

It has long been the case that ethnographic techniques have been appropriated by other disciplines. In particular, designers have employed ethnography and naturalistic inquiry in research for private and public sector client projects. As ethnographic methods have diffused to other fields questions have been raised about whether the ethical concerns that have become engrained over time in anthropological field work have carried over along with the methodology. This article explores how ethical considerations are addressed (or not) in ethnographic-style research, specifically within the field of design. A review of secondary sources and interviews with three practicing designers provide insight as to the shifts that have occurred over time within design and how these changes have impacted design research and practice, specifically in relation to ethical issues.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
Dariusz Lorek

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> The issue touched upon in the research is connected with the interdisciplinary attitude towards the study of the constantly changing landscape in the nineteenth century Central Europe. Such interdisciplinarity results from the combination of the historical approach with the geographical attitude towards the examination of the past presented by unique cartographic materials.</p><p>The aim of the research was to work out the method of employing cartographic sources and adapting other sources of spatial information for the study and presentation of the landscape transformations in the nineteenth century that occurred as a result of the industrialization process in Europe.</p><p>Prussian manuscript topographic maps at 1&amp;thinsp;:&amp;thinsp;25&amp;thinsp;000 scale along with early nineteenth-century maps depicting the pre-industrial landscape constitute a significant cartographic source of knowledge. Apart from city plans and other maps, also space descriptions, preserved statistical data, documents, inventories and archives were utilized as sources of spatial information. Photographs, postcards and prints depicting the nineteenth-century landscape were another relevant source of information. Moreover, the data collected during field work, e.g. pictures and short videos made in selected research areas, were also highly useful. The research was conducted, for example, in towns of Greater Poland of different level of economic development. A few types of settlement units were selected, i.e. the village, the town with a mansion (palace), the ‘Olęder’ settlement and the town.</p><p>On the basis of maps and archives collected for the research area the multimedia method of presentation of landscape types and their transformations, with the employment of geoinformation tools, was suggested. That methodology of multimedia integration of historical materials allowed one to demonstrate consecutive stages of the transformation characteristic of the nineteenth-century landscape.</p><p>As a result, it became possible to define landscape types for the areas of different level of transformation and preserve the pre-industrial state. Short videos consisting of several sequences that demonstrated the changing form of specific topographic objects, elements of the landscape from the nineteenth century till this day, were the effect of the work. On the basis of the nineteenth-century topographic maps that employed the hatching method for the demonstration of the relief the models of the terrain were generated, which allowed one to create the transition from the parallel perspective to the bird’s eye view that was employed to depict the pre-industrial landscape.</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 181-191
Author(s):  
Beata Sadowska ◽  
Zimon Grzegorz ◽  
Nina Stępnicka

A defined forested area performs various functions such as economic, protective and social. Regardless of the level of civilization development and human knowledge, it cannot be stated that humans have full control over the phenomena occurring in forests or their surroundings. Forest hazards, including fire hazards, constitute a direct or indirect factor of human activity that has an effect on nature. Forest fires cause specific losses and generate costs, thus affecting a financial result. The research area of the study is forest fires and losses caused by them, i.e. determining the financial and non-financial effects of fires. The main aim of the study is to present the problem of forest fires in selected European countries, including Poland, and to determine the level of losses caused by them. The research hypothesis is: "Forest fires occurring in European countries, including Poland, cause significant losses in the natural and social environment, which forces organizations to incur costs of implementing measures to protect forest areas against fires". In the case of Poland, the area of interest is public forests managed by the State Forests National Forest Holding. The following research methods were used: critical analysis of the literature, comparative method, desk research, the method of induction and synthesis. In the field of empirical research, the current research results and studies of the Central Statistical Office and the reports of the State Forests were used.


2021 ◽  
pp. 9-24
Author(s):  
A. A. Arsenyev ◽  
D. S. Leontiev ◽  
M. D. Zavatsky ◽  
V. V. Saltykov

This article analyzes the prospects of petroleum potential in Kurgan region. The relevance of the work is due to the high degree of development of the traditional oil and gas recovery areas of Western Siberia, which leads to the need to organize search activities in areas with a low density of hydrocarbon resources. We have analyzed the results of exploratory drilling in the area of the Alabuga river in Kurgan region, and have studied the history of detections of onshore oil occurrences there. Based on the results of the retrospective analysis, the research area was determined, field work was performed to determine the state of search wells in the area, and a collection of geochemical soil and liquid samples was selected. The analysis of the samples revealed that all of them contain methane and its homologues up to and including pentane. The genesis of light methane homologs is related to the processes of catagenesis; their detection on the surface indicates active processes of generation and migration of petroleum hydrocarbons. Based on the analysis of archival materials and estimated ground-based geochemical studies, a conclusion is made about petroleum potential in Kurgan region.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document