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Soft power of Western Sabaragamuwa region

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dc.contributor.author Dissanayaka, Ganga Rajinee
dc.date.accessioned 2021-06-30T10:26:29Z
dc.date.available 2021-06-30T10:26:29Z
dc.date.issued 2019
dc.identifier.citation Dissanayaka, Ganga Rajinee (2019) Soft power of Western Sabaragamuwa region,International Conference on Heritage as Soft Power,Centre for Heritage Studies, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka.Pag. 108 en_US
dc.identifier.isbn 978-955-704-134-6
dc.identifier.uri http://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/23050
dc.description.abstract The Sabaragamuwa Region has not been identified as having a unique cultural heritage at par with the Upcountry Kandyan Region and the Southern and Western Maritime Region. The Western part of the modern province includes the ancient Pahala Bulathgama, Hatarakorale, and Satkorale served at the buffer region to the Upcountry. The core area is also called “Deyyane Rata” (Country of the Gods), with its seats of ecclesial power in Pelmadulla, Kiriella and at Srī Pāda. The jungle tracks that connected the Mahavāsala in Kandy to the seats of maritime power of the Dutch VOC in the South, were linked by networks of Pirivenas (seats of leaning) and Devales (seats of divine power): They have been traced from our library research and field trips. These mapping exercises are the base of the ongoing research. The soft power of the Cave Image Houses of this region will be highlighted in this presentation. According to the palm leave manuscripts, Cave Image Houses were rare in the vicinity of royal city but common in the periphery of the kingdom, jungles and boundaries where political power contested such as caves where monks lived in meditative seclusion. As our current research shows, they were also centers of resistance against the Dutch and later British which is a less discussed area. The Master-Pupil Traditions established by Ven. Velivita Saranamkara in mid 18th century show later continuations in two main traditions in the south: The ‘Vehalla Tradition’ and ‘Mulkiriga Tradition’. The final outcome of the current research that will be showcased at the conference is how the master-pupil-traditions which connected Cave Image Houses on the jungle tracks of Sabaragamuwa created a protective soft power of the region. The ongoing research funded by the AHEAD Project for the Faculty of Humanities has brought light to many unknown geo-political aspects of this region. en_US
dc.publisher Centre for Heritage Studies, University of Kelaniya, Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. en_US
dc.subject Cave Image Houses, Centers of Resistance, Mapping Centers of Soft Power en_US
dc.title Soft power of Western Sabaragamuwa region en_US


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