Browsing by Author "Peiris, P.T.M."

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    Iconic Gaṇapati to aniconic Pillaiyār: An archaeological and ethnographical study on iconographic variations of Gaṇēsha figures in Sri Lanka
    (4th International Conference on Social Sciences 2018, Research Centre for Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Dr.Bogahawatta, C.; Koshalee, K.V.J.; Peiris, P.T.M.; Randula, K.K.G.
    A sculpture of a two-armed Gaṇapati has been found on the frontispiece of Mihintale Kaṇṭaka Cētiya shows the concept of Gaṇapati has been known to Sri Lankan Buddhist society since 2nd century CE. During Polonnaruwa era (11th-12th Century CE) many four-armed stone images and bronzes of Gaṇapati is appeared due to the cultural interaction between Sri Lanka and south India. It is clear that four-armed Gaṇapati became popular among Sinhalese Buddhists since Polonnaruwa era, and he was intruded into Buddhist pantheon. Worshipping Gaṇēsha by the name of Pillaiyār or Pullaiyār in North-Central and Northern Provinces by Sinhalese Buddhists should be paid a special attention owing to the simple aniconic figure of which the deity is represented. Thus, three major forms of representing Gaṇēsha among Buddhists in the area covering North-Central and Northern Provinces from historic period can be identified. It is questionable that 'why the aniconic figure is restricted to a specific area while the four-armed Gaṇēsha figure is still being the common representation among the Buddhists in other parts of the country?'. Therefore, the paper seeks to examine the socio-cultural factors which would have influence the evolution of the Gaṇēsha sculpture of that area. It is revealed that the beliefs of Gaṇapati in the Buddhist socio-cultural context of the area were influenced in forming the iconography of the deity.
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    The Impact of Religious Conflict on National Cooperation in Post-War Sri Lanka
    (4th International Conference on Social Sciences 2018, Research Centre for Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Madusanka, R.W.B.M.D.; Peiris, P.T.M.; Silva, M.L.M.; Perera, M.P.
    Ten years have gone since the end of three decades of civil war in Sri Lanka. This civil war, a result of the ethnic conflict between two ethnicities caused negative impacts on national solidarity. After the war, the governments that came to power have taken various levels of national and international actions to work together for national solidarity. As a result, the present society experiences a politically peaceful atmosphere compared to the era of civil war. Yet, there are several incidents reported on civil conflicts in various place in Sri Lanka. This study aims to find out the reasons underlying the ethnic conflicts in post-war era in Sri Lanka while examining the religious factors affecting the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. The study used case-study method with special reference to the case known as ‘Theldeniya Sinhala-Muslim Incident’ in Kandy district. Responses from 40 respondents, who have witnessed ‘Theldeniya Sinhala-Muslim Incident’ were interviewed through structured-interview method. In addition, secondary data such as newspaper articles, previous case-study reports and preliminary reports related to the study were referred. Through the case-study analysis it was concluded that the political strategies to weaken the civil society are mirrored as ethnic conflicts in Sri Lanka. Hence, to promote national solidarity grass-root level awareness campaigns must be promoted by government and non-government organisations on ethnic-wellbeing in Sri Lanka.
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    අනුරාධපුර යුගයේ අත්තාණි කණුවල දැක්වෙන පුරාතන ලංකාවේ වෘක්ෂ ආරක්‍ෂණය
    (Department of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya, Kelaniya, 2017) Peiris, P.T.M.; Kulathunga, Y.R.; Randula, K.K.G.
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