Reviewing International Encounters (RIE)

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Academic Interactions with Foreign Institutions in 2017
(Reviewing International Encounters 2018,The Research Center for Social Sciences (RCSS), University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Manathunga, A.
This presentation is a summary of my research papers presented in foreign universities in 2017. I have presented four research papers in India and one in China during this period. I have been invited to the Department of Archaeology, University of Kerala, Thiruvenathapuram, India in January for the Presidential address of the International Conference on Field Archaeology organized by that University. My presentation was on the Importance of Anthrofacts in Field Archaeology which contains an extension to hitherto considered Ecofacts and Artifacts in Archaeology. I presented two papers based on Sigiriya paintings, one at the Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India in February and the other one is at the Archaeological Directorate at Gauhati, Assam in November. In September I have been invited to Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida in India where I presented a paper on Padhanaghara monasteries. I have been appointed as the consultant of the Sanghai Archaeological Forum and invited for the International Conference on Water and Civilizations in December where I presented a paper on the Significance of Waterbodies in Cityscape in ancient Sri Lanka. In this presentation I summarize all these presentations with my academic contribution, experience obtain and future prospects of my foreign interactions in 2017.
Ajanta and Sigiriya: A comparative study into mural paintings
(Reviewing International Encounters 2015, Research Center for Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2015) Manatunga, A.
Ajanta paintings have often been compared with that of Sigiriya in Sri Lanka. The contemporariness of both paintings, their elegance, excellent preservation and some stylistic similarities are the factors behind this comparison. Accordingly, both sites have been considered as belonging to a same school of paintings which was nourished by Buddhism and spread over South and Southeast Asia during that period. The present paper is meant for examining this popular belief of similarity between Ajanta and Sigiriya by comparing the subject matter, context, style and technique of paintings in both places with casual attention to other paintings and sculptures in India and Sri Lanka. Ajanta is a cave temple complex and its paintings are essentially religious. Sigiriya is a palace complex and its paintings are in a secular context. Moreover, Sigiriya paintings are only female figures which are having a symbolic meaning than that of Ajanta where paintings are part of narrative scenes. The study shows that Ajanta and Sigiriya are examples of two schools of paintings though there are some similarities in style which is common to both paintings and sculptures at Anuradhaura and Polonnaruva in general. Further, it is noted that Ajanta is closer in the subject matter, context and style to paintings in the Tivanka Image House at Polonnaruva than that of Sigiriya. The style and elegance of old sculptures at Dambulla cave indicate some resemblance to Ajanta though early paintings at the cave have been replaced by new paintings of Kandyan style in the 18th century and presently preserved as the largest painted cave of the island. One may surmise that Dambulla caves might be somewhat resemblance to Ajanta if it were preserved with its old paintings
Alternative Approach For Designing Curricula in General Degree Study Programs: A Lesson From Sri Lanka
(Reviewing International Encounters 2015, Research Center for Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2015) Dharmasiri, L.M.,
Curriculum Development (CD) is an vital requirement for updating available or newly designed curricular and is an process of improving the curriculum. Several approaches has been used in developing a curricula in the field of education. Commonly used approaches Consist of analysis (i.e. situation, need analysis, task analysis), Design (i.e. objectives and design curricular), Selecting (i.e. chose of appropriate learning outcomes and teaching methods, chose of appropriate assessment method), Formation ( i.e. formation of the curriculum implementation and evaluating committee) and Review ( i.e. curriculum review committee) (CaDSFR). The designing part of the CaDSFR has been modified as an organism approach of this experiment. The major objective of this study is to apply an alternative approach for designing of new curricular for the General Degree Study Programs (GDSP). In additions, an alternative model will develop for identifying and illustrating the organism approach. The methodology that has been applied for the CD has five folds, i.e. (a) Selecting and appointing an Educationist and Subject Specialists for each subject streams of the faculty from outside the university and they were assigned for the task, (b) Conducting a workshop for Curriculum Planning, (c) Conducting mini-workshops at Department level for discussing bench mark and other issues related to CD, (d) Formulating a Common Framework for the CD and (e) Finalizing the CD. Stakeholders‟ views and consultation from outside the university have provided excellent feedback and support for the CD. The five folds strategies have been applied for the CD of the Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) of the University of Kelaniya in Sri Lanka in 2013/14. The FSS has nine Departments and been offering seventeen Degree programs including General Degrees, Special Degrees and Postgraduate Degrees like M.A., M.S.Sc., M.phil.and PhD. The Consist analysis of the CaDSFR strongly proven the urgency of revising the GDSP, because available curricular is older than a decade. Accordingly, the CaDSFER process has been applied for the CD. In particular, novel approach of five folds that applied for designing part of the curricular of the FSS and the process is near to completion. As a different program, the experiences CD process of the FSS may useful for the respective parties who involve with CD.
Beyond What We Seeing: An Inter Site Spatial Pattern of Megalithic Burial Complexes in Yan Oya Middle Basin (YOMB), Sri Lanka
(Reviewing International Encounters 2018,The Research Center for Social Sciences (RCSS), University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Gunathilaka, K.A.D.N.S.
Though the classical archeological approach based on interpretation of archeological data such as structures, artifacts, and features has a long history, it is regarded as a singular approach for research. Amidst this context, this study tries to extend the methodological approach based on the Post-processual archeology which tries to understand the collective behavior of all above facts which gives an overall picture of the scenario. A burial considered as a land mark of an individual or of a society, exposes the historical information in its material sense while it could also be explained in its visual meaning. The burial complexes spread all over the Yan Oya basin becomes significant subjects to study the social contexts they were belongs to in the above sense. The objective of present study is to relate spatial distribution patterns of burials with their materials and architectural features, instead studying mire structures. Accordingly, the study strives to explain the depositional behavior of a burial through the principles of spatial archeology which enable to expose the socio-environmental contexts of the based communities
Buddhist Revival in the 19th Century in Sri Lanka
(Reviewing International Encounters 2018,The Research Center for Social Sciences (RCSS), University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Hewawasan, H.H.N.S.
The British colonial administrators started to consider about Buddhism in Sri Lanka only after the conquest in 1815. In order to win the consent from the Buddhist monks and the Kandyan elite, the colonial administrators added one sentence regarding Buddhism in the 1815 treaty. Since the beginning of 1850's, the Christian priests attempted to adjust the religious policy of the colonial administration according to their wishes and beliefs. They were executing missions against Buddhism in Sri Lanka. At first, Buddhist monks were liberal about this. Yet, gradually they started to comment for the accusations made by the Christian priests. As a result, a revival in the Buddhism in Sri Lanka arose. There were several religious debates and out of them, "Pandurawadaya" became world famous. As a matter of fact, renowned Englishmen such as Colonel Sir Henry Steel Olcott came to Sri Lanka and became a Buddhist. Thereafter, several Buddhists schools were established in Sri Lanka to promote Buddhist education. Many Buddhists were given Sinhala names as substitutes for their Christian names. As a consequence, there was a Buddhist Revival in the 19th century in Sri Lanka. Thus, in this research, the objective is to analyses these challenges and threats. As for the methodology of the research, primary and secondary sources were used for reference. To conclude, it can be stated that, as a consequence of these challenges and threats faced by the Buddhism in Sri Lanka, the Buddhist layman as well as the Buddhist monks were united as one and built many Buddhist societies in Sri Lank
Causes and Consequences of Exclusion of Plantation Community from the Public Sector Service Delivery
(Reviewing International Encounters 2018,The Research Center for Social Sciences (RCSS), University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Damayanthi, M.K.N.
The plantation sector covers 4.4% (901,647 people) of the total population in Sri Lanka and it mainly comprises with Indian Tamils while including smaller number of Sinhalese. This community has been isolated from mainstream of social, political, economic and development process of the country and plantation management has been completely control their whole life and work. In addition, they have been provided inadequate basic social service from public sector and excluded from some of public service delivery. Therefore, this study focuses to examine the factors contributing for exclusion of plantation community from public service delivery and what are the effects created by them at local level. Both primary and secondary data were used for the research and mixed method is employed for the analysis. Primary data and information collected through questionnaire survey (374 households) and focus group discussions in Palindanuwara and Mathugama Divisional Secretariat Divisions in Kaluthara District. The collected data and information will triangulate through in-depth interviews (26) and key informant discussions (16) with former public representatives and officials of local government authorities, officials in Divisional Secretariats and field officers and trade union leaders. In addition relevant acts, ordinance and other official documents will use to collect data. Descriptive method and simple statistical analysis are employed to analyze qualitative and quantitative data respectively. Research findings reveals that plantation community exclude from some public service delivery, due to legal barriers, behavior and attitudes of relevant public officials and plantation management. Lack of supervision of filed officers is another strong cause for exclude the plantation community from public services. Consequently they suffer from lack of infrastructure facilities and deprived by basic needs. As a results, they act as passive citizens rather than being an active citizens
The Changing Terms of Trade in the Small Farming Sector in Sri Lanka: Special Reference to Paddy and Vegetable Cultivation
(Reviewing International Encounters 2015, Research Center for Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2015) Henegedara, G.M.
Decline farm output prices relative to the prices of farm inputs and consumer food items become a core factor of the dropping farm income of small farmers in Sri Lanka, particularly in paddy and vegetable cultivation. Though the dropping farm income is a common problem in many agricultural countries, its impact is very crucial for a small country like Sri Lanka where nearly 30 percent of the labour force is occupying directly or indirectly in agricultural activities. Hence, the main objective of the paper was to review factors influenced for drooping TOT in the small farming sector and assessing its implications on the economy. The methodology of the paper was based on deductive method and used both primary and secondary data. According to price data analysis, parity ratio between paddy and consumer items has declined continually in the recent past. Farmers have to pay nearly 2 kilo of paddy to purchase one pound of bread in 2012, while it was one kilo in 1984. Similarly, the required paddy amount for receiving one packet of milk powder (450gram) has increased from 7.03 in 1984 to 10.2 in 2012. As the farm inputs, the parity ratio between paddy and fertilizer has declined tremendously over the past. However, the effect on vegetable farmers is insignificant due to price fluctuations. Government intervention has made some policy measures, granting fixed output price and input subsidy programs. Under the rapid globalization scenario, the issue has become more complicated and thus dropping farm income is not simply a matter related to domestic production factors; it also linked with the global market. It indicates the need for comprehensive sustainable agricultural policy
Chinese Soft Power Strategies Towards Sri Lanka and Its Implications on International Politics
(Reviewing International Encounters 2018,The Research Center for Social Sciences (RCSS), University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Gunasena, J.T.S.
Chinese involvement in South Asia has been perceived as a threat by certain regional and extra regional powers such as India and the U.S.A. whereas China proclaimed it as a peaceful invitation for mutual co-existence with the rest of the world which was embraced by many smaller powers such as Sri Lanka. This attachment between China and Sri Lanka specially during latter’s post-conflict period since 2009 had created certain clashes of interests among above mentioned regional and extra regional powers whereas Sri Lanka provided the platform for these controversies which resulted even some negative implications on the conduct of Sri Lankan policies. The main focus of this study is to identify the impact of China’s soft power usage and the implication of it on the Sri Lankan external and internal relations. One objective is to identify strategies used by China in terms of trade and investments to influence Sri Lanka by means of soft power and another objective is to determine the implications of it on international politics. Content analysis has been used in order to analyse secondary data collected through data triangulation method available in different data sources such as government publications, books, interviews, historical records, speeches, and web. The content analysis evaluates document texts and test theoretical underpinnings of the particular issue to understand data more comprehensively. Soft power strategy used by China has been significant role in the form of investments, development grant, cultural donations, bilateral trade agreements and consolidation of diplomatic and political relations that has been remarkable feature in post- conflict period of Sri Lanka. During the previous government in Sri Lanka pro Chinese policies were strengthened due to the high interest of Rajapaksha government for bilateral loans, which came with no political strings and repayment period is negotiable and China tries to spread its power through bilateral loans to developing countries. This unexpected strategic presence of the China in Sri Lanka was much disturbing for the implementation of India-Sri Lanka relations and the U.S –Sri Lanka which were under anxiety. Chinese presence has been always seen as a vital threat by the international community since it’s so called peaceful development has identified as a smart strategy with hidden security goals. Both India and the U.S.A created difficulty for Sri Lanka in the form of human rights allegations during the conflict and even call for Security Council resolutions for an international investigation in to it. On the other hand, China's strategy of non-interference has implied that it has no ambition to interfere in to domestic political issues in Sri Lanka. China is highly concerned of the fact that if it can’t be the hegemon in South Asia, it won’t allow anybody else to do so. It is clear that China effectively used trade and investments compared to India and the U.S.A. But Sri Lanka has to be more cautious in maintaining balanced relationship with all the countries since China is not that much reliable partner in the light of rapidly changing international politics
Economic value of water functioning system of paddy field in Sri Lanka
(Reviewing International Encounters 2015, Research Center for Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2015) Nishantha, B.M.N.; Mahindha, G.M.; Semasinghe, W.M.; Kularathne, M.G.
Paddy farming in Sri Lanka can be divided in to tree schemes according to the source of water availability for farming. In addition scale of cultivation depends on the schemes. Naturally paddy field acts as a multifunctional surface due to its structure. Then paddy field helps to mitigating flood, recharging groundwater and purifying water which was determined previous studies. Then, the study focused on estimating economic value of those non-market benefits and find out how does the magnitude effects of those benefits vary within the cultivation schemes in Sri Lanka based on non-market evaluation methods of Replacement Cost Method (RCM) and Contingent Valuation Method (CVM). Primary data was collected by using structured interview method and experiment method. Further one-way ANOVA was utilized to achieve the objective of the study. Further the result shows that the Economic Water Functioning system of Paddy Field is vary within the cultivation schemes and allocated as 172421.8LKR, 63320.7LKR and 32996.66 in major irrigated scheme, minor irrigated scheme and rain-fed scheme respectively per acre
Energy Consumption and Economic Growth: Assessing the Evidence from Sri Lanka
(Reviewing International Encounters 2015, Research Center for Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2015) Dissanayaka, D.M.A.
This study attempts to shed light into the empirical relationship between energy consumption and economic growth in Sri Lanka (1981-2012) employing the vector error – correction model estimation (VECM). The vector specification includes energy consumption, real GDP and price developments, and the latter was taken to represent a measure of economic efficiency. The empirical evidence suggest that that there is a long – run relationship among the three variables, supporting the endogeneity of energy consumption and real output. These findings suggest important policy implications, since the adoption of suitable structural policies aiming at improving economic efficiency can induce energy consumption without impeding economic growth.
An Examination of Relations between Lanka and Other Countries: with Special Reference to Yapahuwa Period of Sri Lankan History
(Reviewing International Encounters 2015, Research Center for Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2015) Sudharmawathie, J. M.
After the decline of Rajaratacivilization, the Kingdoms of the country shifted to the Southwest. Hereafter, locations were chosen as capitals based on defense. Yapahuwa was also such place which became the seat of rule for a brief period. The place at Yapahuwa was built on a rock which was situated in the middle of a valley. The only king who ruled from Yapahuwa was King Bhuvanekabahu I. However, his reign at Yapahuwa is noted in the history of Sri Lanka because of various relations with foreign countries. The objective of this paper is to discuss the nature of foreign relations of Lanka during the YapahuwaPeriod. Both Primary and Secondary Sources were used to gather relevant facts and information to achieve the assigned objective. In interpreting data, both literary and archaeological sources were used. It is clear that Lanka had relation with South India, China and Egypt at the time. The nature of these relations varied and there were political, trade and religious relations. When considering the South Indian invasions at the time, it can be said that the invasions was a continuation of previous such invasions to the island. However, as depicted by the architectural remains there were also cordial relations with foreign countries during this period. BhuvanekabahuI can be considered as a king who made an effort to develop foreign trade. This fact is very clear from his policy of continuing the trade activities with china which was initiated during the Anuradhapura Period. Lanka became a part of the international trade activities carriedout through the Indian Ocen. This had affected positively to Lankan economy.
Factors Affecting Remittances and Its Usage in The Rural Communities: Special Reference to Rural-to-Urban Labour Migration in Sri Lanka
(Reviewing International Encounters 2018,The Research Center for Social Sciences (RCSS), University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Ranathunga, S.P.B.
Remittances play a significant role in poverty reduction in rural sectors in developing nations. Labour movement from rural villages to cities can be viewed as a universal phenomenon of economic modernization. Despite abundant research on this topic, there is no clear consensus among researchers on the pattern of rural to urban labour migration, remittance inflows to rural sector and its usage. Although international labour migration has gained more attention than rural-to-urban labour migration in the recent debate on migration and development, migration practices and remittances have been considered as significant livelihood development strategies for many poor groups in developing countries across the world. Although rural-to-urban migration has contributed immensely to household poverty reduction and income diversification strategies in rural communities in Sri Lanka, there is dearth of attempt in the literature to identify and quantify these impacts. The research question address in this study here is what are the factors affecting remittance and its usage in the rural communities? Data for this analysis were obtained from a questionnaire based survey conducted by the author between January and April 2011 in Sri Lanka. The survey comprised 400 rural-to-urban migrant workers from 20 urban factories located in Gampaha District in Sri Lanka. The remittance data in this survey consists of both positive and zero values as usual, as migrants who remit and who do not remit were included in the sample. Due to the nature of this type of data (censored regression), a Tobit regression model was applied to identify the determinants of remittance in Sri Lanka. Tobit estimations have the limitation of making the signs of both the determinants of remittances and the magnitude of the remittances the same. Therefore, a probit model was also employed to examine the decision to remit. Consequently, probit estimations provided the factors influencing the decision to remit while Tobit estimates provided the simultaneous decisions of whether to remit or not and how much to remit The results indicate that the decision to remit depends on the purpose of using the remittance rather than the amount of wages or experience. Unmarried migrants are more likely to remit for daily expenses in their households of origin to support elderly people and/or parents who cannot work and do not have a proper income in the places of origin. Households with larger areas of farmlands are less likely to receive regular remittances for consumption purposes whereas they receive more remittances for farming purposes as an investment. Households with students are more likely to receive regular remittances for daily expenses. Migrants tend to remit for the purpose of education if there are students in the household of origin. This confirms that rural-to-urban migration and remittances are not only for consumptive purposes but also for investment purposes. Moreover, rural-to-urban migration contributes significantly to asset accumulation in the communities of origin
The Fanaticism of Cricket Fans’ Impact on Brand Recall of Advertised Brand While Cricket Match Being Telecasted
(Reviewing International Encounters 2018,The Research Center for Social Sciences (RCSS), University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Senanayake, R.M.C.A.; Ramanayaka, A.R.N.D.; Sbeykoon, A.M.S.J.P.
Cricket fans have a doubt when they sit in front of the TV to watch the game .It is about what actually are they watching either match or TV Commercials (TVC .)Therefore, this study was mainly focused to find the impact of “Fanaticism” (FAN) on “Brand Recall” (BR) of products which being telecasted during the cricket match subjectively with L shape (LS) vs Full Frame (FF)2 Secondly, to develop an empirical instrument to measure “fanaticism ”as a latent concept to confirm which type of TVC more impact on BR. This study was based to the hypothesis of FF TVC makes relatively more benefits in terms of BR than LS TVC does. First, exploratory factor analyses (EFA )procedure was used to reduce the dimension on the 58-items in questionnaire . We found statistical evidence to reduce the 58 items in to 43 items which have over 0.7 eigenvalue and over 0.75 Cronbach's Alpha value averagely . Second, data were collected by reduced questioner from 200 respondents who in boy’s hostel of the University. We used Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA )approach using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM )procedure for parcel the items with minimum error in each measurement. The IFI (0.918 =FF, .725= LS) value and TLI (0.902=FF, 078= LS) value close to 1 indicates that goodness fit of the empirical model with conceptualized model. On the other hand, RMSEA value is less than 0.8 indicates that close fit of the model in relation to the degree of freedom. The estimated value of each hypothesized relationship of conceptualized models were statistically significant except the relationship between “Attitudinal Loyalty” and indicator called “Q19.5. There is a negative relationship between BR and FAN, on the other hand the negativity is grater with LS TVCs (-0.585) than FF TVCs (-0.472). According to the convergent validity is based on average variance extracted (AVE) and only one construct called “Attribute” is failed to establish as a good construct in the model. This results brake the common acceptation of marketers who pursue their marketing objectives via FF TVCs during the matches
Foreign Trade Relations in Sri Lanka in The Ancient Period: With Special Reference to The Period from 6th Century B.C to 16th Century A.D.
(Reviewing International Encounters 2018,The Research Center for Social Sciences (RCSS), University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Sudharmawathie, J.M.
Foreign trade is one of the prominent feature of Sri Lankan economy from the ancient times. According to some views ancient Ceylon was inhabited by foreign traders who arrived the country from neighboring countries. According to the chronicles, Ceylon had been populated from the 6th Century B. C. The maritime trade of the Indian Ocean can be traced back to the dawn of civilization when as early as the third millennium B. C., the Hardpan merchants of India traded with Mesopotamia through the ports of the Persian Gulf. Up to the time of 8th century A. D. foreign trade activities in the Indian Ocean were carried out by various nations such as Persians, Ethiopians and Chinese and many others. After the 8th century B. C. most trade activities were conducted by Muslim trades in various Islamic Countries. Sri Lanka had been the central point for all these traders. It is apparent that Sri Lanka has engaged in trade with many countries from the ancient times. It includes Greece, Rome, Persia. India, South-East Asian countries and with China, the farthest country towards the east. Accordingly, Sri Lanka had been treated as the main land mark for foreign trade in the Indian Ocean. From ancient times Sri Lanka had been treated as the main meeting point of the traders bringing their goods from the East and the traders coming from the west though Persian bay and Red Sea. The main objective of this research is to investigate the factors contributed become Sri Lanka a popular trading center in international trade activities during the prescribed period under consideration. Primary and secondary sources including information from chronicles, inscriptions and archeological remains were adapted along with foreign documentation and reports. Geographical location of Sri Lanka has substantiated the possibility of maintaining trade relations with foreign countries. As the sea routes towards the east and west were located through Sri Lankan sea, this island had become a popular sea halt on foreign voyages. Sri Lanka had become so popular among international traders because of the fact that there were several harbors located around the island that can be anchored any vessels. The importance of harbors situated in Sri Lanka had subjected to remarkable charges from time. However, the significance of every harbor has remained unchanged at all times. The main harbor during the Anuradhapura period was Mahathiththa. It existed up to the 14th century. When Mahatiththa become out of use, the other harbors in the southern and western part of the island become prominent. According to the sources reveals another important factor is that Sri Lanka is situated very close to India. Another fact the foreign traders attracted towards this small island is that the enrichment of the country with many valuable natural resources such as pearls, gems, elephants, ivory, and spices namely cinnamon, pepper, clove including many other varieties which were high demand in international trade.
Ganapati in Early Buddhist Art of Sri Lanka: An Explanation of the Elephant-Headed Figure at Mihintale Kalaka Ctiya
(Reviewing International Encounters 2018,The Research Center for Social Sciences (RCSS), University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Bogahawatta, C.; Koshalee, K.V.J.; Peris, P.T.M.
The first Sinhalese literary evidence of Ganapati is found in a verse of Sasadāvata, a poetry work composed in 12th century CE during the Polonnaruwa period. Ganapati or Gatesha, who is one of the most worshiped gods in Hindu culture, is not found in Sri Lankan literature till the medieval period. However, a sculpture of an elephant- headed figure belonging to the 2nd century CE has been found on the cornice below the topmost register of one of the frontispieces of Mihintale Kaat ka Ctiya among the frieze of dwarfs, referred to as gatas in literature. The figure has been identified by scholars as the well-known Hindu god Gatapati owing to the elephant head. In comparison to Hindu sculpture, the figure can be correctly identified as an early depiction of Gatapati. This interpretation leads to a number of questions that need to be answered, such as: does the presence of this representation of Gatapati refers to the existence of the cult of Gatapati in Sri Lanka at that time? And further it also raises the question as to what was the intention of having a figure of Gatapati in a Buddhist temple? And it also prompts us to think about the nature of Buddhism that would have prevailed at that time in Mihintale that allowed a sculpture of Gatapati in the Mihintale monastery of Kataka Ctiya. This study intends to examine the social and cultural dynamics that would have allowed for the intrusion of such a non- Buddhist icon into a Buddhist building at an early stage of Buddhist history in the island. Arising from the facts available, this figure can, thus, be identified as an earliest depiction of this Hindu god at a Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka, as the head of the gatas, in the form of Ēkadanta who has only one tusk as we know him today. The consciousness among the contemporary society of him as a divine being is evident from the archaeological context of the sculpture. Therefore, sculpturing Gatapati at Mihintale Kataka Ctiya can be identified as the early stage of absorbing this non- Buddhist deity in to Sri Lankan Buddhist culture. Further, it can be concluded that the heterodox Buddhism was influential in sculpturing non-Buddhist icons in early Buddhist art. Simultaneously, the political 3 revolution from Mauryan to Lambakartas led to changes in political context, therefore, new group of patrons for heterodox Buddhism were begining to emerge.
Good Governance & Local Government in Sri Lanka
(Reviewing International Encounters 2015, Research Center for Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2015) Mudalige, P.
This paper concerned good governance & local government in Sri Lanka.Local government is the part of the government which deals mainly local affairs, administered by authorities subordinate to the state government but elected independently by the qualified residents. Modern democratic system is the most appropriate system from the point of view of good governance. Good governance is seen to bring in happiness and welfare of the people. It also associated with efficient and effective administration in a democratic in framework. With this there will be effective measures to prevent and combat corruption, support for leadership development, sharing the lover level power, empower men and women &decision making. Sri Lanka is a republic and a unitary governed by a semi presidential system. Sri Lanka has a long history in practicing local government system. Local government is the third and lowest level of government in Sri Lanka after the central government and Provincial councils. They are responsible for the providing a variety of local public services. Local authorities are divided into three deference groups Municipal Council. Urban Council &PradeshiyaSabha. Both primary and secondary data are used in the study. Primary data have been collected through methods such as questionnaire survey, key informant interview, focus group interview, and were collected via observation, Sources of secondary information include project reports, official documents and published research reports . The Study was done with reference to Uwa and Western provinces in local authorities. The study for qualitative and quantitative methods used
The Historical Evolution and the Present Usage of the Guard Stone in Sri Lanka
(Reviewing International Encounters 2018,The Research Center for Social Sciences (RCSS), University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Manathunga, D.K.
The guard stone is an essential feature found on either side of the entrance to the religious or royal buildings in ancient Sri Lanka. Other important features are the "Moonstone" and the "Wing stone". During the first phase of history of the guard stone it was simply a plain slab of stone and later on it was developed and made more beautiful by making fine carvings to these stones. Among those carving a prominent place was given to the figure of male the name guard stone. Other types of the carved guard stone are the full pot, human figures, devotees, dwarfs and the king cobra etc. The objective of this research paper is to identify and examine the historical evolution of the guard stone place at the entrance to the religious and royal building belongs to the Anuradhapura era of the ancient Sri Lanka and also their present types of usages. In this aspect a special attention has been given to the two dwarf guard stone named "Sanka" and "Padma" which found in the historical AbhayagiriyaVihara Complex which belongs to the ancient Anuradhapura era. The methodology of this research was mainly based on the usage of primary sources and field study of the archaeological excavation of the AbhayagiriyaViharaya. Among the findings of this research one is under the concept of "kuvera" the two dwafs who guarded the treasure of Kuvera have received the devoting by the people and even at present it was among the religious beliefs and practices among certain people. This has become clear by using these guard stones as places of swearing in affirming by some people.
Historical importance of Natha Devalaya in kandy
(Reviewing International Encounters 2015, Research Center for Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2015) Dilhani, A.,
NathaDavalaya is situated in Kandy or senkadagala, the capital city of the last Sinhalese kingdom in the central hills of Sri Lanka, surrounded by Mahaveli River from the south and west. NathaDevalaya could be identified as the oldest remaining structure in Kandy. NathaDevalaya is located in the terrace situated in front of the sacred temple of the tooth and the kings palatial building and its origin dates back to the era of Gampola kingdom. It is believed that NathaDevalaya had been constructed by king Vikramabayu III who was ruling the Gampola kingdom. The features of Avaloketheswara figure could be identified easily from the statue of Amithabhaya Buddha on the top of the matted hair. Although the statues of AvaloketheshvaraBodhisatwa were discovered from various parts of the island in the early stages, the name God of Natha was attributed to it only from the 14th century. In the examining the architectural characteristics of NathaDevalaya it could be observed that it resembles the image house features of crowing roof Gedige tradition which was popular during the medieval ages. The pavilion antechamber and the adytum which could be seen in Devalas of south India are also visible here. A coronation chaori constructed to select a prince eligible as heir to wall inscription of the Devalaya creates an immense assistance in building up the history of Kandyan kingdom. NathaDevalaya is bound with traditional rituals maintained from the ages of ancient kings. Accordingly, the objective of this research is to investigate into the historical significance of NathaDevalaya Kandy with an emphasis on the origin and evolution of the Devalaya with its architectural characteristics and rituals while exploring the value of this historical premises making use of primary and secondary data.
Identify the Satisfaction of Travel Destination Attributes on International Tourists’ Revisit Intention: Special Reference to Arugambay Tourism Zone
(Reviewing International Encounters 2018,The Research Center for Social Sciences (RCSS), University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Gunarathna, K.M.L.M.M.
International tourism market performs most prominent role in the economy of developed as well as developing countries including Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka entered to the international tourism market in 1960, presently tourism industry is considered as one of the major foreign currency earners in the local economy. However, as compared to the other South East Asian region, Sri Lanka has not yet tapped into its full potential in the global market. Hence, tourism industry should pay more attention to explore the reasons why people travel and what are the satisfaction level of each travel destination attributes and the re-visit of the tourists in order to increase the tourists’ arrivals, earnings and global market share and reduce the costs. Tourists’ satisfaction and revisit intention play an important role in marketing the travel destination attributes. Hence, understanding the revisit intention is one of the dominant issues because repeat visitors provide more revenue and minimize the cost. Usually, tourism industry requires high level of promotional costs. To reduce this promotional cost, it is necessity to identify the satisfaction level of the travel destination attributes for each destination and revisit intention of the international tourists. This assist to ascertain for tourism planners and marketers about the most and least important attributes in a destination in order to develop and maintain a better tourism destination by reducing the promotional costs. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify the satisfaction of travel destination attributes on international tourists’ revisit intention in Arugambay tourism zone. International tourists, who visited Arugambay, were the target population of this study. Primary data was collected through the structured questionnaires by using simple random sampling procedure to select the sample size of 100. Non-parametric analysis was used to achieve the objective of this study. According to the results, respondents rated high weather/climate, opportunity for adventure, relaxation and tourists’ activities offered in the area as attributes that affected them the most in visiting the Arugambay zone. On the other hand, culture and transportation were rated as the least significant attributes that affected their visit
Impact of New Housing Scheme of Estate Workers on Their Improvement of Livelihood
(Reviewing International Encounters 2015, Research Center for Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2015) Sanjeewani, K.S.
Due to the labour shortage for plantation works the British administration had to depend on Indian labour force. After bringing them to Sri Lankan estates, they have given „line rooms‟ with poor facilities. Those plantation Tamils have been living as a segregated community in the plantation areas today even. But, after the independent governments concerned more on the improvement of the estate workers livelihood. As a result of that the Plantation Human Development Trust and the National Housing Development Authority played a key role in introducing new housing schemes for estate people. Therefore, this study has focused on two selected housing settlements in estate Poyston and estate Carolina in Ambagamuwa divisional secretariat division, NuwaraEliya district, Sri Lanka. The main objective of the study was to identify the impact of the new housing settlements which were carried out by the government in the plantation sector as an alternative to the contemporary line rooms. This study has taken two research strategies namely, Survey Method and Comparative Method. Key informants‟ Interviews, Focused Group Discussions (FGDs), and observation also conducted. A significant change in the workers livelihood can be identified in both settlements. But it depends on the type of the house and the facilities it included.