Kataragama
Kataragama is in the Monaragala District of the Uva Province of Sri Lanka. It is a major heritage site in the internal Buddhist pilgrim circuit. Crucially, Kataragama is a syncretic religious site important to Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims as well as to the Veddas, the indigenous people of Sri Lanka. Sansanka Perera and Pooja Kalita are conducting research at this site in the context of faith and placemaking.
Kiri Vehera. Photo Courtesy of Ruhunu Maha Kataragama Dewalaya
The Kataragama Devale, one of the main sites in the city’s heritage infrastructure, is dedicated to the Hindu God, Skanda Kumara, also known locally as God Kataragama. It is a major religious site as well as pilgrimage destination to both Buddhists and Hindus. The city is also the location of Kiri Vehera, an important Buddhist pagoda believed to have been first constructed in the 6th Century BCE.
Culturally, Kataragama’s main attraction consists of the rituals at its Hindu temple including firewalking in which both Buddhists and Hindus take part. Anthropologist, Gananath Obeyesekere’s well-known ethnographic film, the Kataragama: A God for all Seasons (1973) was based on field work in this city and this temple.
When it comes to heritage practices that cuts across faith and placemaking, Kataragama is an important site in Sri Lanka and is well-known in global anthropology.
Katharagama Dewalaya. Photo Courtesy of Ruhunu Maha Kataragama Dewalaya.