Ritualized mythic place : body, performance and place in traditional Sri Lankan landscapes

Abstract

Asela perehera is a cultural/ religious performance celebrated annually during Juiy/August/September in traditional settlements in Sri Lanka. These performances establish and maintain specific mind-body conditions in space and time by making connections with landscape features, places and people. Through a repeated series of body performances and narratives, people dynamically experience geographical space and construct the mythic dimensions of place. Lankathilaka village is one of these traditional settlements, developed around a Buddhist, Hindu temple during 1344 - 1345 AC1, in which these performances are still happening, exposed to minimal changes throughout the time, located in central hills of Sri Lanka.This research focus on examining Asela perehera in Lankathilaka village, aiming to examine following research