Social Sciences
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Item Ganapati in Early Buddhist Art of Sri Lanka: An Explanation of the Elephant-Headed Figure at Mihintale Kalaka Ctiya(Reviewing International Encounters 2018,The Research Center for Social Sciences (RCSS), University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Bogahawatta, C.; Koshalee, K.V.J.; Peris, P.T.M.The first Sinhalese literary evidence of Ganapati is found in a verse of Sasadāvata, a poetry work composed in 12th century CE during the Polonnaruwa period. Ganapati or Gatesha, who is one of the most worshiped gods in Hindu culture, is not found in Sri Lankan literature till the medieval period. However, a sculpture of an elephant- headed figure belonging to the 2nd century CE has been found on the cornice below the topmost register of one of the frontispieces of Mihintale Kaat ka Ctiya among the frieze of dwarfs, referred to as gatas in literature. The figure has been identified by scholars as the well-known Hindu god Gatapati owing to the elephant head. In comparison to Hindu sculpture, the figure can be correctly identified as an early depiction of Gatapati. This interpretation leads to a number of questions that need to be answered, such as: does the presence of this representation of Gatapati refers to the existence of the cult of Gatapati in Sri Lanka at that time? And further it also raises the question as to what was the intention of having a figure of Gatapati in a Buddhist temple? And it also prompts us to think about the nature of Buddhism that would have prevailed at that time in Mihintale that allowed a sculpture of Gatapati in the Mihintale monastery of Kataka Ctiya. This study intends to examine the social and cultural dynamics that would have allowed for the intrusion of such a non- Buddhist icon into a Buddhist building at an early stage of Buddhist history in the island. Arising from the facts available, this figure can, thus, be identified as an earliest depiction of this Hindu god at a Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka, as the head of the gatas, in the form of Ēkadanta who has only one tusk as we know him today. The consciousness among the contemporary society of him as a divine being is evident from the archaeological context of the sculpture. Therefore, sculpturing Gatapati at Mihintale Kataka Ctiya can be identified as the early stage of absorbing this non- Buddhist deity in to Sri Lankan Buddhist culture. Further, it can be concluded that the heterodox Buddhism was influential in sculpturing non-Buddhist icons in early Buddhist art. Simultaneously, the political 3 revolution from Mauryan to Lambakartas led to changes in political context, therefore, new group of patrons for heterodox Buddhism were begining to emerge.Item Categories of Dance in Sri Lanka during Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa Periods: An Archaeological Study Based on Dancing Figures(Research Centre for Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Kakulandala, K.; Bogahawatta, C.Literary sources from the 3rd century BC and archaeological sources from the 2nd century AD provide adequate evidence about ancient dances in Sri Lanka. Through investigations of both sources of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa periods, religious or semi-religious dances and the dances performed for the king and the royal court can be identified. Categories of dance represented by the dancing figures which are found particularly in Buddhist and Hindu architectural premises as well as unrecorded venues have not been substantially examined yet. Literary sources make repetitive indications towards the practice of dance in ancient Sri Lanka, rather than demonstrating the categories of dance specifically. Thus the main objective of this research was to discover the categories of dance in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa periods. Features of dancing depicted by the dancing figures were thoroughly examined to achieve the research objective. In attempting to distinguish dancing events from other human figures, the postures of the figures, surroundings and the purpose of creation were analyzed, adhering to standard theoretical frameworks. Through methods of detailed and comparative analysis the categories were recognized. It has been drawn as the conclusion that there had been categories of dance as solo/group dances, female/male and mix gender dances, religious dances and celestial dances as a conceptual dance type during the periods concerned.