temple temple sri_lanka temple complex dedicated religious sites sri_lanka people collection modest dedicated important past jungle shrine difficult access today accessible weather road nearby managed apart dedicated 1940s majority pilgrims sri_lanka undertook pilgrimage foot pilgrims tend cult popular people number legends myths associated deity location differing religion ethnic affiliation time legends changing deity burgeoning popularity buddhist ritual specialists clergy try accommodate deity buddhist ideals change mode worship festivals changed hindu orientation buddhist rituals theology difficult reconstruct factual history place reason popularity indians based legends available literary evidence place history lack clear historic records resultant legends myths fuel conflict ownership mode worship priests temple known believed descended people claim temple nearby mountain peak locality number legends mosque tombs muslim pious men buried nearby temple complex connected similar temples dedicated path pilgrimage north south island traversed pilgrimage route 15th century vicinity temple complex secretive practices peculiar sri_lanka entire temple complex declared holy place government sri_lanka 1950s political leaders contributed maintenance history origin theories number theories origin shrine according mode rituals connected survival indigenous mode preceded arrival buddhist cultural influences sri_lanka centuries bce muslims tried opt deity rituals shrine according original shrine established guardian deity shrine buddhist temple complex particular shrine spot met local identity deity right rituals pilgrimage according happened 13th century popular 15th century poet identified location sacred spot literary evidence literary mention context sacred place tamil form 15th century poems tradition claims visited forest shrine composed poems according poems deity mountain mention form guardian deity sri_lanka buddhist relics chronicle written 16th century today thailand popular thai based deity sri_lanka mentioned historical annals known written 5th century mentions town named important dignitaries came receive sacred sent empire bce according derived city shortened evidence vicinity temple number ancient ruins inscriptions based dated inscriptions found nearby believed built renovated 1st century bce inscription offering apparently orders son king ruled inscription dated 7th century built sanctuary buddhist monks inscription mention trading town antiquity 2nd century bce indicated legends coins unearthed site region ancient kingdom played important role political history island role medieval phase history shrine began arrival 16th 17th century identified spot associations characters events following establishment forest shrine place pilgrimage indian shrine attracted local buddhist people forest indigenous mixed popularity increased place kings indigenous kingdom colonial occupation island indian workers brought british occupation began participate pilgrimage popularity shrine increased sections people legends hindu legends according buddhist texts main shrine dedicated known tamil sources known god war likeness coins issued centuries bce deity popularity waned survived known eventually fused local god war known known independently literature dated 2nd century bce 6th century way number legends woven deity birth accomplishments marriages including tribal princess known tamil sources written sanskrit 7th 8th century primary corpus literature tamil rendition known written 14th century expands legends meeting plays greater role india hardly know sri_lanka 4th century earlier known guardian deities 14th century invoked protect island accommodated non buddhist religion 11th 12th century worship documented royal family point past identified deity shrine known guardian deities sri_lanka numerous legends sprung try find independent origin hindu roots buddhist legends legends tells moved sri_lanka asked refuge refused came live refusal deity forced body piercing fire walking annual festival legend tries explain location shrine traditional patterns worship legends deity 1st century bce war shrine erected victory legend historic annals legend makes tamil spy sent live tamil locals death legend says legendary king born waiting able identify new strands legends legends 1970s burgeoning popularity shrine deity according practice peculiar dark represented current shrine located isolated place near shrine town power curse carried secret outside shrine place receives animal sacrifices directly invoked practices muslim legends muslim islamic legends relatively newer according muslims referred land number muslim pious holy men migrated india settled vicinity earliest known simple residence mosque called supposed discovered source water drunk provides historic figures died died built tombs legends kept mainstream culture sri_lanka deity consider lord rock primarily deity hunts deity building shrine leaves lance arrow planted middle structure dance shrine possessed spirits dead ancestors guide hunting party techniques places hunt felt cult taken aspects rituals traditions clan lived near shrine known temple clan extinct found eastern province 19th century local believed nearby mountain peak mountain deity deity coming shore married local woman named daughter chief resided mountain eventually settling current location temple layout small rectangular buildings ornamentation representative deities outside buildings contrast hindu temple sri_lanka india built stone dedicated shows timber construction left originally constructed plans improve people reluctant original shrine complex important known dedicated known statute deity instead holds spiritual drawing deity power complex largest pilgrims come visit representation deity kept adjoining room statue known clay arm chair known supposedly belonged covered leopard skin ceremonial instruments left main shrine lies smaller shrine dedicated hindu god known refer small rectangular building decoration left shrine stands shrine dedicated image large tree tradition holds sprung original tree held high esteem visiting attached western wall shrine complex dedicated outside temple yard northern gate lies shrine consort shrine managed india shrine dedicated consort main deity lies mosque close shrine tree sacred mosque number tombs muslim holy men separate shrine dedicated tomb known known buddhism doesn encourage beliefs gods sri_lanka annual pilgrimage deity attained position national god reflects similar position held cult known tamil literature earliest reference god help good hunting primary god hunter people mountainous region southern like sri_lanka advancement settled agriculture identified tribal god war popular segments society symbolically lance trees considered sacred birds identified deity special class priests identified worship advent north indian traditions arriving infused aspects god war legends attributed attributed deity major temples countless smaller temples legends developed bound worship tamil god included marriage cult legends sri_lanka claimed daughter chief south island town known sources associated worship cult worship prevalent sri_lanka known god found buddhist villages towns recognized guardian deities pilgrimage foot fulfill vows deity pilgrimage included india sri_lanka number temples east coast sri_lanka identified temple synchronized festivals based arrival pilgrims way north island include temples interior island temples built century aspect elite 1950s cult taken tone people people visit shrine year long annual festival looks like carnival people trance rituals associated fire walking body piercing hook swinging rituals carried island widely practiced prominent politicians associated temple building renovation cleaning projects festivals festivals daily rituals adhere standard buddhist rituals follows calls ancient traditions worship medieval period muslims tried opt temple deity worship rituals maintained native priests intact main festival known celebrated months july august days festival begins priests forest find branches sacred tree branches immersed local river kept dedicated main festival begins representing deity retrieved storage location street elephant carried shrine hours returned day festival left overnight shrine brought main shrine priests conduct rituals silence covering mouths white cloth associated main festival fire walking arranged master ritual hundreds participate fire walking participate dance forms called body piercing pilgrims exhibit signs possessed hindu buddhist conflicts sri_lanka history conflict minority majority political independence great_britain 1930s wrote tensions ownership mode ritual practice past majority pilgrims sri_lanka undertook pilgrimage foot roads constructed began pilgrimage increased tensions local ownership type rituals government behalf enabled complete takeover temple complex effect buddhist protests occurred development 1940s particularly restrictions placed tamil worship shrine typical tamil hindu rituals fire walking dance body piercing taken spread rest island buddhist takeover temple rituals profoundly affected rationale nature practiced sri_lanka personal deities found loss hindu influence temple complex negatively affected society according buddhist takeover precipitated overwhelming participation essentially hindu rituals worried buddhist establishment strong political religious pressure modify temple rituals conform orthodox world view cited literature
Kataragama temple