On Buddhism and Folk Religion in Sinhalese Society

The Sinhalese folk play, as it exists in the villages today, is still so closely associated with the ritualistic practices of the folk religion. At one end are the elaborate ceremonies connected with the worship and propitiation of the numerous deities that control diseases, bring good or bad luck to the crops, and govern natural phenomena, and at the other end are the plays approximating, in varying degrees, to drama. I give a report for about my investigation of folk religion at the southern part of Sri Lanka from 22 to30 on October in 2004.The Sinhalese folk play, as it exists in the villages today, is still so closely associated with the ritualistic practices of the folk religion. At one end are the elaborate ceremonies connected with the worship and propitiation of the numerous deities that control diseases, bring good or bad luck to the crops, and govern natural phenomena, and at the other end are the plays approximating, in varying degrees, to drama. I give a report for about my investigation of folk religion at the southern part of Sri Lanka from 22 to30 on October in 2004