ICH 2016
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/14540
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Item The issues faced in promoting Ritigala as an eco-tourist destination in Sri Lanka(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Senarathna, C.Ritigala is a nature reserve in Anuradhapura having various significant values and it boasts of archaeological and ecological uniqueness. It is a also a very popular destination for unbelievable climate patterns. The research problem was how to attract responsible domestic and foreign travelers to Ritigala. Moreover, the major objective was to identify more and more nature based activities to create a well-attracted eco-product to satisfy the tourist. And the other objectives were to recognize the deficits and issues encountered by the visitors at the site. Research was based on both primary sources including filed observations, interviews and structured questioners and secondary sources such as reports, magazines and websites. The site and its periphery were explored and also the visitor related facilities were observed to identify the current situation of the site. The sample consisted of 30 domestic visitors and 20 foreign visitors who were randomly selected at the site during weekends. Visitors were interviewed with structured questionnaires to identify their perception, knowledge and comments regarding the site. Domestic visitors are attracted to the site more than foreign visitors. Most of the foreigners are from China and the other major markets are German, Thailand and UK. Most of the nature related activities cannot be seen at the site and it should be improved furthermore. Bird watching, photography, trekking, hiking, nature trails, carting, camping and tree home can be introduced to visitors to enjoy its nature based values. Most of the domestic visitors are not entirely aware of the archaeological values of the site and they are still not provided proper guidance within the site. Visitor related services and infrastructure facilities also are not at a satisfactory level. Information knowledge on the site and its values are not being updated accurately. There should be a proper site management plan, as this is a place which encompasses both archaeological and ecological values. Visitors should be given an opportunity to examine the site with accurate and updated information which should be provided at the site by the Department of Archaeology, travel and tourism related companies, and the community in the area.Item Natural environmental features depicted in Hindi folk songs(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Rubesinghe, T.U.Folk literature, as well as expert literature, is evident in every society. The composition of folk literature is inspired by the first-hand experiences of a villager. The category of folk songs, being significant in folk literature reveals the wishes, aspirations, beliefs, troubles and delights of the villagers. Inspired by the everyday experiences of the villager, the stories and events articulated in the folk songs are often devoid of fictitious, artificial and misleading content. These folk songs and poetry greatly aided the hardworking villager in finding rest at the end of a hard day's work. There are such innumerable folk poems/songs composed within the zone of the Hindi-speaking community. Almost all Hindi folk poems, having the common characteristic of the universal folk literature of referring to the environment and its context, allow the recognition of environment and its characteristics of India. Further, these literary work portrays the consequences and difficulties arising from defying the natural environmental systems, which ultimately conveys the message of the importance of safeguarding the environment. The aim of this research is to elaborate the presence of the natural environment in folk songs/poetry in India, then to describe the experience of the natural environment, thoughts and attitudes related to that, how events in this environment is perceived and applied to their day-to-day lives and ultimately to show the intimate bond that existed between the villager and nature. The methodology of this research includes interviews conducted with experts of folk literature (Local and Indian), analysis of published and multimedia work on the subject.Item The symbolic impact of natural imagery used in the poem “Der Erlkönig” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Lansakara, L.H.M.D.S.The images of nature work as a recurring motif in Goethe’s poem “Der Erlkönig”, where it becomes a characteristic feature of Romanticism as well. Similar to most romantic poets, Goethe also appreciated the beautiful aspects of nature as well as nature’s hazardous countenance. This poem’s plot develops as a conversation between the father, child and the Elf king, where the child hallucinates the darker features of nature and he fantasizes them to be the Elf king and his daughters: presence of the supernatural creatures, which is a feature associated with Romanticism. Hence, the objective of this paper is to find the symbolic impact in the use of images of nature on the development of the poem’s main plot and the implication of the thematic aspects. By engaging in a textual analysis of the original German poem “Der Erlkönig”, it was found that the imagery of nature has been employed to develop the dramatic plot and that the particular imagery are also connected allegorically to the major theme: destruction of innocence by the cruelty of the human world. The analysis shows that Goethe has employed images of nature to characterize the ominous behavior and sinister traits of the Elf King in contradiction to the innocence of the child and the maturity of his father. The conflict begins with the intrusions of the Elf king which make the child afraid while on the other hand, they are realistically explained by the father by connecting them with natural elements. The findings of this research illustrate the presence of Romanticism within the poem and encourage the academics to study the depiction of nature in German poetry.Item Buddhist insights for pragmatic environmental conservation as shown in Vanaropa-sutta(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Basnayake, D.S.The lack of environment-related knowledge has led mankind to the misleading idea of considering nature as the total contradiction of development. This has unexceptionally affected environmentalists’ ideas. The hostile approach of environmental activists towards development projects might be beneficial, but not always. It is as harmful as capitalistic values which encourage creating more desires at the cost of nature. When environmentalist organizations work hard for an environment unaffected by development (which is, in fact unrealistic), many others attempt to make their lives more luxurious at the expense of nature. Both people equally hinder the betterment of mankind. Indeed the conflict between nature and culture is not new. The protection of environment should collaborate with a pragmatic and rational basis. How our ancestors worshipped nature out of fear is not the exact model which deserves for the twenty-first century equipped with better scientific and technological advancements. Development and environment should not sacrifice themselves for one another. Instead, both phenomena should be in a delicate balance. The present study shows how this attitude is shown in the Vanaropa-sutta in Saṃyutta-nikāya, an Early Buddhist discourse. In this discourse, the Buddha shows those who plant groves and build things for facilitating others grow their merits. This discourse discloses a kind of environmental activism which is not obstructive to the development for human well-being. It shows nature and man-made creatures can equally be beneficial some times. As a system of thought which encourages a “middle-way” philosophy, it is no wonder that Buddhism advocates a rational, experiential and pragmatic basis of environmental conservation.Item Pursuing environmental protection through religious doctrine and its relevance to the Sri Lankan context(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Sachithanantham, P.; Thavapraba, S.Environmental protection is one of the important global issues in the contemporary word. Considering the emergence of the environmental pollution and effect, environmental protection has got a status as a burning topic among the researchers and several types of research and forums have been conducted in this connection internationally as well as locally. Religion is one of the social institutions. All the major religions, which are followed in Sri Lanka are very much concerned about the environmental protection based on the theories of cosmology, creation, immanence of god in creatures, relationship of nature, human, admiration of nature, worship of nature. Hence, religions encourage the environmental protection. Religion, nature and humans, are interconnected as one family. In the modern era, science and technology exploit nature for human consumption and human activities. This is widening the gap between the interconnectedness of the god, nature, and human and even venerate the nature. Religious doctrine has not been adopted in the human characteristics and value formation. As a result man looks at nature as alien and he has failed to protect the environment. Religions give a sound eco-friendly background to human community through doctrine. But it does not reflect on their life. At this point, this research analysed data and extracted from the literature on religious Holy Scriptures, textbooks, encyclopaedia, journals, and research articles on environmental issues and try to communicate the findings. Sri Lanka is a religious country. The role of religions in influencing the decision making of every issue in Sri Lanka is inevitable since the independence. The objective of the research was to introduce the interaction of religions and environment, identify the environmental protection principles in the religious texts, and propose religious ideas for environmental protection. Therefore, the research explores and reiterates the environmental protection ideas from the religious doctrine and suggests to incorporate and implement those ideas in the environmental protection endeavour in Sri Lanka.