| ID | 168815 |
| Title Proper | Ravana’s Sri Lanka |
| Other Title Information | Redefining the Sinhala Nation? |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Witharana, Dileepa |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | By examining the public discourse on Ravana that has been widespread among Sinhalese in the recent past, this paper suggests that the Sinhala nation is perhaps on the verge of being redefined. In comparison to the origin story of the Sinhalese that remained seriously unchallenged till the end of the twentieth century, in which the Sinhalese were considered the descendants of the Aryan prince Vijaya who arrived on the island around 2,500 years ago, this new narrative identifies the yakkha king Ravana as the originator of the Sinhala nation by going further back into the past. The paper also attempts to explain why this surge of interest in Ravana is taking place at this particular moment and not earlier. |
| `In' analytical Note | South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies Vol. 42, No.4; Aug 2019: p.781-795 |
| Journal Source | South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies 2019-08 42, 4 |
| Key Words | Ethnicity ; Post-War Sri Lanka ; Ravana ; Contemporary Sinhala Nationalism ; Hela Havula ; Hela Ravana ; Myth-Making ; Religion and Media ; Yakkhas |