அந்தஸ்த்து நிலைமாற்றத்திற்கான சடங்குசார் குறியீட்டு மாற்றங்களும் அழிந்துவரும் மரபுக் கலைகளும் கிழக்கிலங்கை பறை மேளக்கலை பற்றிய மானிடவியல் நோக்கு

Abstract

Depressed caste groups have been eradicating socio-cultural aspects of their identity through some intentional activities since their depressed identity make them susceptible for social discrimination and marginalization. For them, Sanskritization is one related to rituals among these intended activities. What has been observed in East Sri Lanka is that Depressed caste groups tended to maintain paththathi tradition in rituals than changing it into Sanskrit rituals while eradicating certain caste related aspects in the rituals and worship patterns. This study is based on selected Paraiyar communities in Batticaloa district of Eastern Sri Lanka and based on qualitative information collected through ethnographic method in the selected communities. Primary information was collected by using participation observation, personal interviews and focus group discussions. This study founds two reasons for which these communities are still maintaining paththathi tradition. To these communities, firstly, paththathi rituals are intertwined with their life patterns and belief system. Secondly, these community members perceived the participation of other high caste members who approach their temples for gaining the benefits of paththathi rituals and the belief in petty gods of the tradition. It really ease the rule of untouchability and pave the way for value-consensus. The study also found that there are two reasons for Paraiyar communities to eradicate drumming in the paththathi rituals. Firstly, drumming is traditionally their caste occupation and thus the material identity create depressed status for them in the society. Secondly, Drumming is not an integral factor of their belief system and it doesn’t make sense in relation to the whole ritual system of the paththathi tradition. Therefore, drumming art has become an obsolete tradition for them.