Domain of Constant Excess: Plural Worship at the Munnesvaram Temples in SRI Lanka FROM THE PUBLISHER
The 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.
SYNOPSIS
Bastin (anthropology, archaeology, and sociology, James Cook U.) has recast his doctoral dissertation for University College London, which explores how religious meaning and potency acquire force in the production and reproduction of everyday worship. He addresses general issues about Hindu temples and their place in south Indian and Sri Lankan society and history, focusing on a predominantly Hindu cluster of five temples near the northwest coastal town of Chilaw from the middle 1980s to the middle 1990s. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
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