Abstract:
The presence of Up-country Tamil Hindu persons as worshippers at the sacred
footprint (Sri Pāda) is quite recent when compared to other ethno-religious groups in
the country. The majority of pilgrims going toSri Pāda are Sinhala Buddhists, and the
second largest group are Hindu Tamils from the tea estates in the area around the
temple. But unlike in the past, Hindu, Muslim, and Catholic groups do not play any
significant ritual role at the temple. As far as Up-country Tamils’ religiosity is
concerned, the central religious festival that they perform annually is centered on the
female goddess Mariyamman. By celebrating Mariyamman, Up-country Tamils
highlight their distinct identification with the island and their cultural differences from
not only other ethnic groups in Sri Lanka but also diasporic Tamil Hindu
communities. This is because the cult of Mariyamman is quite a unique feature of Upcountry
Tamil religiosity when compared to other Hindu practices in the country.
However, Up-country Tamils are not confined to their own religious world, and the
performance of their rituals can be extended to major multi-religious sacred sites like
Kataragama, Munneswaram, and Sri Pāda. This paper elaborates how they have
connected with the Buddhist-dominated Sri Pāda as worshippers and become the
servants of the Sri Pāda temple while being estates workers. This paper will also
explain the politics of carving out a ritual space by performing a special ritual at the
Sri Pada temple and how such a ritual of Up-country Tamils highlights their cultural
differences from numerous others, including Sinhalas and other Tamil Hindu
communities.
