"Ravanisation": The Revitalisation of Ravana among Sinhalese Buddhists in Post-War Sri Lanka

Author: Deborah de Koning
Publisher: LIT Verlag
Total Pages: 422
Release: 2022-01-05
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 3643965044

This book discusses Ravanisation: the revitalisation of Ravana among Sinhalese Buddhists in post-war (after 2009) Sri Lanka. The Hindu Ramayana generally portrays Ravana as a cruel king. How and why, then, has Ravana gained the interest of Sinhalese Buddhists? This study takes an ethnographic perspective to answer these questions. The book discusses multiple Ravana representations that have emerged at an urban Buddhist site (the Sri Devram Maha Viharaya) and a rural site (Lakegala), and discloses how Ravanisation relates to Sinhalese Buddhist ethno-nationalism. In addition, the material, ritual, and spatial perspectives offer unique insights in the personal and local relevance of Ravana. Dr. Deborah de Koning holds a PhD degree in Religious Studies (Tilburg University, research funded by the Dutch Research Council) and currently works as lecturer Intercultural Communication and Hinduism and Buddhism at the Christian University of Applied Sciences (CHE, The Netherlands).

Debunking Mythology

Debunking Mythology
Author: Aditya Satsangi
Publisher: Independently Published
Total Pages: 113
Release: 2019-05-25
Genre:
ISBN: 9781099407291

From all Vedas, we have to know Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The author,"Aditya Satsangi", is the inventor and the copyright owner of the term 'SATTOLOGY'. Sat means truth, Myth means untruth. So, Sattology is the exact antonym of Mythology.All Vedic or Dharmic Scriptures are referred to as Mythology by most residents of Western, and Middle-Eastern countries. This book removes that doubt through a series of articles and is also a political commentary on many current happenings in the world. The reader will generate love and faith in Vedic Literatures as the original thought process of humanity. This book is dedicated to all Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Ex Muslims, Dharmic Muslims, and any person who has respect for Dharma. My book is dedicated to great people of Syria, Lebanon, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, CIS States, China, Mongolia, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Polynesian Countries, Fiji, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Canada, USA and to many other countries where Dharmic people live.Hinduism, Hindutva, Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto, Jainism, Sikhism are eternally tied together as pearls of Sanatana Dharma. Sanatana Dharma is the common thread of all these faiths. Dharma is the largest faith of the planet with almost 5 Billion people on the planet. More and more people are joining he Dharma Revolution. Any logical and reasonable brain is a Dharmic brain on the planet.Western historians dismissed the history of their colonies as mythology while upholding their fake histories. Now, the colonies have risen and are claiming their respect and recognition. The first step is to Debunk all Mythology tag. Histories have to be re-written because the facts are now screaming against the tyranny of colonialists. In the series of 10 articles, the author has presented a a thought process which present Dharmic commentary on current happenings. The reader will get hooked on to the contents and the book will invigorate the mind of the reader to demand more. If this books suceeds in invigorating the thought process of intellectual mind in questioning the current history, then author considers himself a success.Current history of the world is written by colonialists, who wanted to suppress the thought process of natives. This book will give renewed confidence in 'Sattology'.

Tamil Nationalism in Sri Lanka

Tamil Nationalism in Sri Lanka
Author: A.R. Sriskanda Rajah
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 150
Release: 2022-10-31
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1000779459

This book examines Tamil nationalism in Sri Lanka and provides insights on how Tamil nationalism has survived the destruction of the Tamil Tigers after May 2009 and continues to thrive, despite the absence of a charismatic leadership to lead it or a centralised organisation to mobilise the Tamils along ethnic nationalistic lines. The ethnic nationalist ideology shaped up by the Tamil Tigers continues to remain the driving force of the Tamil polity in Sri Lanka and the Diaspora. Using a Foucauldian counter-historical theoretical framework, the author analyses and offers answers to these questions: What is keeping Tamil nationalism alive despite the demise of the Tamil Tigers over a decade ago? Why do many Tamils in Sri Lanka and abroad refuse to accept a Sri Lankan political identity? How are Tamils able to continue on a nationalist path despite the absence of a unified political leadership? The book argues that Tamil nationalism has survived the latter’s destruction because it has become counter-historical. It is this that has allowed, despite the internecine rivalries between Tamil political parties and Diaspora groups, the Tamil nationalist spirit to remain alive. The author also suggests that counter-history has, for many Tamil political parties and Diaspora groups, become the means of waging war, other than through an armed struggle, against the Sri Lankan state. Based on field research, interviews and documentary analysis, the book provides empirical and unique insights on Foucault’s thesis that power is multifaceted and can function in the absence of centralised mechanisms. This book will be of interest to researchers in the fields of Politics and International Relations, in particular those working on ethnic nationalism, post-armed conflict peacebuilding/conflict resolution, the politics in Sri Lanka, diaspora politics and Foucault.

Ravana's Kingdom

Ravana's Kingdom
Author: Justin W. Henry
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 297
Release: 2022
Genre:
ISBN: 0197636306

Ravana, the demon-king antagonist from the Ramayana, the ancient Hindu epic poem, has become an unlikely cultural hero among Sinhala Buddhists over the past decade. In Ravana's Kingdom, Justin W. Henry delves into the historical literary reception of the epic in Sri Lanka, charting the adaptions of its themes and characters from the 14th century onwards, as many Sri Lankan Hindus and Buddhists developed a sympathetic impression of Ravana's character, and through the contemporary Ravana revival, which has resulted in the development of an alternative mythological history, depicting Ravana as king of the Sri Lanka's indigenous inhabitants, a formative figure of civilizational antiquity, and the direct ancestor of the Sinhala Buddhist people. Henry offers a careful study of the literary history of the Ramayana in Sri Lanka, employing numerous sources and archives that have until now received little to no scholarly attention, as well as the 21st century revision of a narrative of the Sri Lankan people-a narrative incubated by the general public online, facilitated by social media and by the speed of travel of information in the digital age. Ravana's Kingdom offers a glimpse into a centuries-old, living Ramayana tradition among Hindus and Buddhists in Sri Lanka-a case study of the myth-making process in the digital age.

Asura : Tale of the Vanquished

Asura : Tale of the Vanquished
Author: Anand Neelakantan
Publisher: One Point Six Technology Pvt Ltd
Total Pages: 452
Release: 2012-04-12
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 938157605X

The epic tale of victory and defeat... The story of the Ramayana had been told innumerable times. The enthralling story of Rama, the incarnation of God, who slew Ravana, the evil demon of darkness, is known to every Indian. And in the pages of history, as always, it is the version told by the victors, that lives on. The voice of the vanquished remains lost in silence. But what if Ravana and his people had a different story to tell? The story of the Ravanayana had never been told. Asura is the epic tale of the vanquished Asura people, a story that has been cherished by the oppressed outcastes of India for 3000 years. Until now, no Asura has dared to tell the tale. But perhaps the time has come for the dead and the defeated to speak. "For thousands of years, I have been vilified and my death is celebrated year after year in every corner of India. Why? Was it because I challenged the Gods for the sake of my daughter? Was it because I freed a race from the yoke of caste-based Deva rule? You have heard the victor's tale, the Ramayana. Now hear the Ravanayana, for I am Ravana, the Asura, and my story is the tale of the vanquished." "I am a non-entity-invisible, powerless and negligible. No epics will ever be written about me. I have suffered both Ravana and Rama - the hero and the villain or the villain and the hero. When the stories of great men are told, my voice maybe too feeble to be heard. Yet, spare me a moment and hear my story, for I am Bhadra, the Asura, and my life is the tale of the loser." The ancient Asura empire lay shattered into many warring petty kingdoms reeling under the heel of the Devas. In desperation, the Asuras look up to a young saviour-Ravana. Believing that a better world awaits them under Ravana, common men like Bhadra decide to follow the young leader. With a will of iron and a fiery ambition to succeed, Ravana leads his people from victory to victory and carves out a vast empire from the Devas. But even when Ravana succeeds spectacularly, the poor Asuras find that nothing much has changed for them. It is when that Ravana, by one action, changes the history of the world.

ORISON

ORISON
Author: Dr. Sheena Rath
Publisher: Notion Press
Total Pages: 268
Release: 2024-09-09
Genre: Poetry
ISBN:

Sheena is an amazing individual and mother. Her zeal to help Rahul and the Autism society is exemplary. She has evolved in the fields of Music and Art also.I have always admired her courage and perseverance to do anything and everything for her son Rahul and to make the world a better place for him and so many others like him. Dr. Geeta Kampani Consultant in Medicine Safdarjung Enclave New Delhi In His creation, almighty has enriched only a few of us with multifaceted talent. One such personality is Mrs. Sheena Rath. Not only she sings in a soothing voice but also paints and writes beautifully that touches your heart, despite being a parent of a special needs child (Autism), she has left no stone unturned in support of the cause and spreading awareness all-round the globe. Her creations carry on one side the loftiness of a mountain and on the other, the depth of the ocean. While there is light playfulness, there is also a serious thought behind them. An extremely work oriented and full of confidence, Sheenaji is aware of her social responsibilities. I’m happy to be a part of this cause spreading awareness through music. “Rubaru” and “Dil-E-Umeed”(awareness programs) Vivek Prakash (public figure) Singer…Music Director

Hinduism

Hinduism
Author: Roshen Dalal
Publisher: Penguin UK
Total Pages: 1068
Release: 2014-04-18
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 8184752776

An invaluable encyclopedia of Hinduism Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest religions; an amalgam of diverse beliefs and schools, it originates in the Vedas and is rooted in Indian culture. Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide illuminates complex philosophical concepts through lucid definitions, a historical perspective and incisive analyses. It examines various aspects of Hinduism, covering festivals and rituals, gods and goddesses, philosophers, memorials, aesthetics, and sacred plants and animals. The author also explores pivotal ideas, including moksha, karma, dharma and samsara, and details the diverse commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita and other important texts. Citing extensively from the regional languages, the book describes Hinduism’s innumerable myths and legends, and looks at the many versions of texts including the Ramayana and Mahabharata, placing each entry in its historical context and tracing its evolution to the present. • Outlines all eighteen major Puranas, the 108 Upanishads, and a selection of Vaishnava, Sahiva and Tantric texts • Provides quotations from rare original texts • A product of years of research, with a wide range of entries

The Epic Civilization

The Epic Civilization
Author: R.K. Pruthi
Publisher: Discovery Publishing House
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2004
Genre: Civilization, Hindu, in literature
ISBN: 9788171418633

Contents: The Ramayana: A Historical Perspective, The Ramayana: In Immortal Epic, Ramayana in Kutiyattam, Kuttu and Pathakam, Economic Data in the Mahabharata, The Heroic Ideal, The Epics and Law, The Epic Ideals of Human Relations, Ancient Ideals of Human Relations, Buddha, Kautalya and Krishna.

Frontiers of South Asian Culture

Frontiers of South Asian Culture
Author: Parichay Patra
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 246
Release: 2023-09-22
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 1000928616

This book is the first of its kind to significantly concentrate on trans-nation, transnationalism and its dialogue with various nationalisms in South Asia. Taking the absence of discussion on transnationalism in South Asia as a conspicuous lacuna as well as a point of intervention, this book pushes the boundaries of scholarship further by organizing a dialogue between the nation-state and many nationalisms and the emergent method of transnationalism. It opens itself up for many cross-border movements, formulating the trans-South Asian discursive exchange necessitated by contemporary, theoretical upheavals. It looks at such exchanges through the prisms of literature and cinema and traces the many modes of engagement that exist between some of the globally dominant literary and cinematic forms, trying to locate these engagements and negotiations across three geopolitical formations and locations of culture, namely region, nation and trans-nation.