The Social Anthropological Insight of the Kotahalu Yaagaya

5/25/2018 The Social Anthropological Insight of the Kotahalu Yaagaya

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Introduction & Driving Definition

Chapter 01: Bringing up the Driving definition

1.1 What is social anthropology?1.2 Female Puberty1.3 The base of ritual (Vedic astrology)1.3.1

1.3.2

1.3.3

1.3.4

1.4 Kotahalu YgayaChapter 02: Social Anthropological insight of the Kotahalu

Ygaya

Chapter 03: Summery and Conclusion

3.1 Gist of the study

3.2 Conclusion of the study


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Introduction and Driving Definition

All the countries have an own dignity to identify, each and every human society;

folk societies, primitive societies, peasant societies and urban societies has aculture and a cultural back ground. The culture is certainly supports and comforts

to the survival of the society and both forms are depended on one another. Culture

or civilization, taken in its wide ethnographic sense, is that complex whole which

includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and

habits acquired by man as a member of the ,society 1And the culture has formed

with three fundamentals. It is as follows;

Culture = Ideas + Norms (Non material culture) + Material culture2

In according to that suggestion or the opinion, the Dance of the country depicts its

culture or on the other hand it brings out apicture about the nation and its beliefs.

The dance formed as the dance to entertain other people, to worship to the gods

and goddesses. And at times throughout the dance it has brought up the relaxation

to the human mind, and it is kind of a medication system which is talking to the

human heart, thoughts, mind and soul.

In the previous paragraph I have mentioned that the Dance has activate as a

medication system, in Sri Lanka; we call it as Shnthikarma (dancing rituals

performed amidst singing and drumming).

Sri Lanka dancing has a close links with the village and village people. Althoughdancing can be seen in the cities at the present time; it evolved around the village

and the folk community in Sri Lanka.

1Primitive culture, E. B. Tylor, chapter 1, page 18, volume one

2


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Despite minor regional differences, dancing in Sri Lanka has come in to existence

as a means of fulfilling social, religious and cultural needs of the contemporary

society. As such Shnthikarma can be identified as a part and a parcel of the Sri

Lankan dancing tradition.

The main purpose of performing Shnthikarma is gain the blessings from the gods

and goddesss to fulfill their hopes and beliefs and alsoto beware from the demons

either evil spirits. When there was no proper educational system, the Shnthikarma

had been able to give messages to the folk community. It was a good

communicating method at that time. The main purpose of holding Shnthikarma

was to beware from the dangerous things which were come from the demons either

evil spirits, gods and goddesss and also from the stars.

The Kotahalu Ygaya is such a ritual system where it is taken place around the

pubertal girl. It is as an awareness raising program for the young girl regarding her

health, hygiene, and re-productivity, respected behavior and sensible ways to

interact with the opposite sex and the society a whole. More over the kotahalu

ygaya is based on the pubertal girl as I mentioned and it was just not to be held

unless the girls pubertal time is not good. That auspicious time is really

considerable to hold this ritual. And the folk community believes that the

auspicious time reveals the future of the girl whether she has to face some unlucky

or worthless situations and also it depicts that the auspicious time is bad, it

occurred to have the bad luck to the girls family and the relatives. Therefore the

astrologer asks the girls family to hold this ritual, Kotahalu Ygaya. The ritual

is not happening all over the country but at a part of the country, Nuwara

kalaviya which we known as Anuradhapura or Northern central province of the

Sri Lanka.


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In my study, it is not explaining the ritual system of the Kotahalu Ygaya. My task

is to find out the social anthropological insight of it. When there was a poor

literature it took placed to be happened. The folk community highly believed in

magic and my idea is to pay joining attention above all with the subject of Social

Anthropology.

Most of the time the modern society had been looked down-upon the primitive

society and its basics. Shanthikarma is such a part that the community wont

believe itself. In according to the developing world the modern society always

believes in science and technology, so that the primitive cultural basics seemed to

be a myth and no value. But it evokes a great value and identification to the nation

and country. The value of it will bring out to the readers through the subject of

Social Anthropology. The problem statement of the study is to find out the

importance of the main component Kotahalu Ygaya with the comparative

method of Social anthropology. It is to be described in according to the four main

components of Social anthropology; cultural anthropology, biological

anthropology, linguistic anthropology and archeology. Moreover it is necessary to

examine it with the other linkages of the social anthropology. Such as magic,

culture, marriage, family, socialization, caste etc.

The hypothesis of my study is alternative that means it is above to solve the

problem statement and prove it as positive after the formation of the research

problem and reviewing of the available existing literature. Now hypothesis is

required to be explained. The normal assumptions which are base of the study

which may be tentative in nature are considered as hypothesis.

It can be divided as such;


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Hypothesis Alternative hypothesis

Null hypothesis

At the end of the study, the Alternative hypothesis is occurred. Therefore

throughout the study it is above to prove and describe that there is a social

anthropological insight of the Kotahalu Ygaya. Even though the Shanthikarma

began to perform many years ago, yet there is a worth it to the whole society which

they cannot see. And it depicts and reveals the intelligence of the folk community,

their culture, language, beliefs and conception. To bring to light, the chapter

outline of the study will guide for it.

Chapter 01

Bringing up the Driving Definition

1.1

What is Social Anthropology?

The word itself depicts the combination of the two subjects; sociology and

anthropology. Sociology; it only explains about the social connections and deals

with it. In every society rarely people live their lives isolated. When we are living


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at the society we must be with the society and therefore we make relationships

with the people. Directly and non- directly we build up connections with others

and studying of such relationships and connections we called as Sociology.

Anthropology is the subject of studying the mankind. We all have interest in

finding about the mankind. How he came to the world? What type of a life he had?

What is the end result of the human development? Likewise all the questions are

occurred in the subject of the Anthropology. Anthropology is the science of man.

It is like a branch of the history of the nature. It is an exploration about the man

and as well as about the other parties which man has related with1

However these two areas are belonging to one another. The main difference is that

the anthropologists study the primitive and traditional societies and sociologist

studies the modern industrial and complex societies. And in social anthropology it

deals with the both areas. There it studies how the first society be endowed and its

evolution and growth and as well as it compares with the modern societies. So it is

better to mention that in the field of social anthropology, always prefer and follow

the comparative method.

The social anthropologist studies primitive societies directly, living among them

for months or years, whereas sociological research is usually from documents and

largely statistical. The social anthropologist studies societies as wholes. He studies

their ecologies, their economics, their legal and political institutions, their family

and kinship organizations, their religions, their technologies, their arts, etc. as partsof general social systems.2

1A.E. Crober, Anthropology, Chapter one, what anthropology is about?

2E.E. Evans Pritchard, Social Anthropology, page 11,1951


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The same field has two terminologies, it is necessary to mentioned in this

paragraph. In European countries which is centered in Great Britain, the studying

of human society, organisations and the cultural back ground called as Social

anthropology. And the same study named as Cultural Anthropology in United

States of America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. However the subject of

social anthropology origins in Great Britain and the honour of it go to Radcliffe

Brown; the British Social Anthropologist. SocialAnthropology is the subject of

Comparative Sociology1

Social Anthropology is the study of humankind in terms of who we are and whatour social and cultural existence means. Both the diversity amongst people and the

common responses to the challenges of being human are in continuous focus. This

means that what one regards as commonplace and that which is seen as

extraordinary are turned around: Social Anthropology makes the strange familiar

and the familiar strange by investigating the reasons for behaviour and shared

meanings of all people, including ourselves.

Social anthropology has quite a different task to perform. It studies, as I shall soon

demonstrate, social behaviour, generally in institutionalized forms, such as the

family, kinship systems, political organization, legal procedures, religious cults,

and the like, and the relations between such institutions; and it studies them either

in contemporaneous societies or in historical societies for which there is adequate

information of the kind to make such studies feasible.2

1A.R. Radcliffe Brown: the method of social anthropology, 1958

2E.Evans Pritchard, Social Anthropology, page 5, 1951


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Social Anthropology builds on the natural curiosity we all have about what it

means to be human. It tries to overcome our stereotypes about other people who

appear strange to us, by studying the way they experience and perceive life from

their own perspectives. Social Anthropology helps to undermine our ethnocentric

ideas by comparing and understanding various lifestyles as meaningful, but diverse

responses to common human problems that all deserve our respectful engagement.

Our ethnocentric ideas are thereby challenged, allowing us to use the insights that

Social Anthropology provides to build up an understanding of human life on a

more general level. In this study of people, shared meanings (culture), transmitted

through learning and communication, are of special interest and these include ideasabout making a living, the supernatural, the body (such as sexuality or genetic

differences between populations) and the behaviours associated with these patterns

of meaning. Another important perspective that Social Anthropology takes is the

study of the social life of people (society) in its varied forms of networks, families,

organisations, nations, etc. In the study of people we become increasingly aware of

the complexity and creativity of human life and the futility of seeking to draw a

clear line between "us" and "them".

The branches of the social anthropology can be divided mainly for four sections.

Cultural Anthropology, Biological anthropology, Linguistic Anthropology and

Archaeology are the four main components in the field of Social Anthropology.

Apart from the main branches of its there are substantial areas too. Culture,

family, marriage, magic, ritual, caste, kinship, social organisations and institutions,

socialisation etc. in the track of the subject it is necessary to study all the fields and

subfields comparatively and come to a perspective conclusion. Following the

social anthropology is mean to follow all the areas which are combining with the

subject.


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1.2 Female PubertyThe basis of the world and the existence of the human being depend on the

reproduction. The sexual combination of the man and the woman deals it. The

human body needs certain changes to fulfill this task in both man and woman.

After the childhood f both men and women it comes the adolescence age, there it

occurs to happen certain changes inside the human body and that vital changes

relate to the brain and transferring signals and symbolize that the human body is

prepared for the procreation. The time of the body changes called as puberty. It

describes the time in life when the body matures sexually and the reproductive

organs become functional. It is caused by a release of the sex hormones;

testosterone (male hormone) and estrogen (female hormone).

Puberty starts when a small gland inside the middle of the base of your brain (the

hypothalamus) begins to distribute a chemical it has been sitting on for years and

years. This chemical is called gonadotropin- release hormone, or GnRH. It hasbeen biding its time inside the hypothalamus, keeping tabs on a gate keeper called

GPR 64. The hypothalamus watches over the state of the body looking for just the

right system- wide conditions to support puberty.

One of the main ones is the level of a hormone called leptin, which is produced in

fat cells. When body fat reaches a certain level and therell enough leptin, the

hypothalamus makes its move to unleash puberty.

The pea shaped gland has been waiting for the appearance of GnRH, which is a

sign of pituitary to launch its own chemicals, leutinizing hormone (LH) and

follicle- stimulating hormone (FSH), once these chemicals are coursing through


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the body- triggering hormone production in the capsules, signaling the breasts to

develop and creating psychological and physical turmoil. Childhood is officially

ending and making way for woman hood.

The process of sexual maturation involves the series of physical stages and steps

as I mentioned n also it happens in mentally too. It leads to achievement of

fertility and so called secondary sex characteristics such as rapid growth spurts,

the development of breasts, growing pubic hair. Psychologically this change can

cause teenagers to become moody, self-conscious and aggressive and also tend to

experience with new and potentially risky activities.

The female puberty is remarkable when compares to the male puberty, moreover

we can identify different types of customs and rituals which is related to the

female puberty. It depends on the belonging culture and society of the world. And

in the next section of the study I only point out the customs and rituals which have

in Sri Lanka in ethnic vise and religious vise.

1.2.1 Sinhalese puberty ritualsThe rituals regarding the puberty among the Sinhalese people are the basis of the

study. The puberty of a girl is kind of a ceremonial event at the Sinhalese

community. Once the parents got to know about the puberty it is a custom that tokeep the girl aside apart from the family. Regionally at down south at times they

build small hut for the girl to keep her out of the home.


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However the next step is to see the asterism of the girl in according to the pubertal

time, date, venue and dress etc. All the details are said by the astrologer. If the

girls pubertal time is not good he advised to held Bodhi pooja (a ritual which is

held near the Boo tree at the temple and assumed that is there is any bad things

above to happen will go away from the blessings of the lord Buddha), if it is too

bad the astrologer advised to held the Kotahalu Ygaya after the puberty ceremony

of the girl.

After seek the auspicious time by the astrologer the home people arrange the

arrangements to the ceremony. The girl cannot bath until the auspicious date

comes, and she even cannot see her face through the mirror. It is done by the folk

community knowingly or without knowingly to enlighten the change which occurs

in girls body. During the time she cannot eat any oil food and she cannotsee any

male face too. When the auspicious date comes and according to the asterism (the

time depends on the girls birth chart, pubertal time) she goes to have a bath. And

near the place that she is getting the bath it is necessary to place a tree which has

milky trunk, usually they prefer the jack tree because jack tree is a symbol of

fruitfulness. And after that the girl used to see her face over a water filled bowl.

That is the first time she sees her own face after the puberty. Before she entered to

the home she covers her body from a white cloth (mottekkili) and cut a coconut.

Then she can see a mat with lot of foods (milk rice, keum, kokis, bananas, curry

powders etc.), rice, oil lamps, a pot with the coconut flower, betel. She is the one

who lights the oil lamp and all these ingredients symbolise the prosperity and

fruitfulness. And after these customs occurs the girl gets presents/ gifts from the

relatives. And it should be mentioned that nowadays this puberty ceremony

celebrate as the wedding ceremony.


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The puberty ceremony and the rituals of the Sinhalese community as such and at

times there are some regional changes regarding the customs. But commonly it is

as mentioned above.

1.3 The Base of Ritual (Vedic Astrology)Vedic astrology is one of the oldest forms of astrology. It evolved over 5000 years

ago and is based on a body of knowledge known as Vedas; which translate to

knowledge or wisdom and also it refers to as Jyotish. Vedic astrologys primary

focus is on predicting cycles and events of the future putting more emphasis on

understanding when certain events are likely to take place.

Vedic astrology gives a good account of mans life and how would it be. And it

believes that the ones life charts made according to the karma of the past life.

Vedic astrology gives a better view of: persons karmic tendencies are likely to

manifest for that person through a unique system of planetary system called

dasha. The planets in Vedic astrology known as grahas. It is believed that the

birth chart of an individual based on their past karma. The role of astrology is to

make one aware of the presence or absence of certain tendencies and should be

used as a tool for making better decisions.

Vedic astrology follows the same combinations of the houses, signs and planets.

The Vedic birth chart is square and it also has different meaning to all the housesand zodiac signs of the chart. Each sign has a different meaning and ruling method.

They have bestowed different places too. Ravi, Sandu/Chandra, Budha, Guru,

Shukra, Rahu, Kethu, Kuja, Senasuru are the 9 stars which is included in Vedic


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astrology. Some stars are dangerous and some are good and some are mixed up

with both qualities.

The birth chart; we called it as the horoscope which is squared shape chart as I

mentioned before. In according to the birth time the horoscope is made, it includes

the stars but not all the stars it depends on the birth time and what are the stars

existed at the time are counted for the horoscope.

When the people have kind of ceremonial statement in their lives and as well as if

there are some kind of unfruitful statements are happening in lives, occasionally

they look forward for the horoscope. At times it says all the details related to thestatement. The main thing is it all happens in according to the Karma which we

had in our past life. Most of the astrologers believe it.

The girls puberty; the main component of the study is likely a ceremonial

statement and therefore it deals with the horoscope. The pubertal ceremony

depends on the astrology. There are several things which are counted on it. The

time which the girl got attend, the colour of the dress which the girl dressed up, the

venue it occurred and the date. In according to all these details and information it

gives an overall astrological interpretation of the pubertal girl.

In Vedic astrology it is like such as;

1.3.1Pubertal description in according to the pubertal dateSunday: The girl who got attends on Sundays; in according to the astrological view

it says that the girl likes to dress up nicely and glamorously. She will not work


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hard; she is willing to spend her time leisurely and freely. There will be no

frugality and like to control others and get the maximum benefits from them. She

will be swollen headed girl from the family and can see a good health and most

good will come to her father among the family.

Monday: The girl who got attends on Mondays; it says that she is very fortunate

and the behaviour of the girl is very good. She earns lot of good habits and

qualities. Clever enough of house hold activities and love towards her family, kind

hearted. She loves to travel a lot and her marriage life will be successful one.

Tuesday: The girl who got attends on Tuesdays; she is bit high minded andstubborn character. She does not get many facilities. She is not obeyed to others

and hot tempered. Her marriage life is not a comfortable one but she is clever

enough to handle self-employment or entrepreneurship.

Wednesday: If the girl is studying, she is a talent and bright girl in her stream. If

she is not studying, she may be better enough of house hold things. She will spend

her time very freely and happily. When the suitable age comes she will marry a

good person and will give the birth to virtuous children.

Thursday: She is talent for he studies. She will receive lot of luxurious things.

Behaviour and qualities are very good of the girl who got attend on Thursdays. She

is so combine with her family, parents, sisters and brothers. Rarely the girls got

attend on Thursdays and she is lucky enough to marry a good person.

Friday: She is very lucky, and healthy. She loves to music and art. She is talent on

the studies, willing to eat good and delicious food. She will marry very soon like


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she wont get marry in her old age. She will earn lot of friends and she will have a

happy marriage life as well.

Saturday: The girl who got attend o Saturdays is not a lucky one. She likes to have

an ordinary life style. Hard working but at times she got slothfulness. The marriage

will get late a bit and above to happen an ordinary marriage.

1.3.2 The predictions according to the place that the girl got

Attend

On her way or at a relatives home: Behaviour is not good and not frugal girl.

Near the cows or at the cow hut: The behaviour of the girl is good and she will get

enough of food all over her life.

Alone or out of her home: She will have to face for lots of barriers. Not good for

her husband.

While bathing: She is very healthy and lucky enough to have beautiful things inher life.

At the well or river: She will have a long life and she is a generous character.

Among the crowd or at a function: she will get luxurious things in her life and will

be a famous character.

Out of her own village: She will have many connections with the out-door people.

And love to travel a lot.

Inside her own home: Very fortunate girl and she will protect the reputation of her

family.

Among an assembly or at the school: Fearless, forward character. Not obeyed to

others and she will have love affairs before the marriage.


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Among the women: She will receive many resources and live a happy life.

At the market: She will be rich in many ways.

While travelling/ at a vehicle: She may have to face for many issues from the out

siders. She will be sick at time to time.

At a cemetery or at a funeral: She will have to face for many troubles. More

capacity of getting the relevance from the evil spirits.

At the church: She will have to face foe many troubles.

At the temple: She has good abilities and will be more religious.

While on her sleeps: The qualities and attitudes of the girl will really good and she

is lucky to earn luxury stuff in her life.While she is playing: The qualities and attitudes of the girl will really good and she

is lucky to earn luxury stuff in her life.

1.3.2 Predictions according to the moon monthsDuruthu (January): Behaviour is not good of the girl.

Nawam (February): She will have a peaceful life with good kids.

Medin (March): Behaviour is not good and not a trust worthy.

Bak (April): Not obeyed to others

Wesak (May): Lucky person and will earn money a lot and will have good kids.

Poson (June): She will be weak in her health.

Esala (July): The less capacity of getting pregnant.

Nikini (August): She will able to spend her life happily.


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Binara (September): She will get disabilities on her womb .

Vap (October): She will be a most religious character.

IL (November): Weak in her health and body and she will not live long.

Unduvap (December): She is lucky and as well as she will have few lucky kids.

1.3.3 Predictions in according to the dress colour which girlUsed to wear when she got attend

White: She is lucky to get pregnant and have kids.

Red: She will get number of sicknesses.

Blue: Poverty/ beggary/ narrow circumstances, widowed.

Black: Poverty and Beggary.

Out-worn dress: Not pidgin and quarrelsome.

Yellow: Wealthy and well heeled.

Rough dress: Protective and chastity.

Colourful strip dress: Poverty and beggary.

Dirty dress: Poverty

New dress: Wealth and Fortune.


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Pink: Lucky to be pregnant and have kids.

1.3.4 Predictions in according to the zodiac/star sign which wasRelate to the pubertal time.

Aries: Poverty

Taurus: Wealth and development/ progress

Gemini: Live with good and well circumstances

Leo: Wealth and fortune

Virgo: Wealth, fortune and healthy

Libra: Wealth

Scorpio: Not wealthy, brutal and harsh

Sagittarius: Both good and bad characteristics to be appeared.

Capricorn: Unsuitable behaviour and fearless character.

Aquarius: Swollen headed and fortunate.

Pisces: Generous but not so beautiful.

1.3.5 Prophecy/ predictions according to the Asterism/AuspiciousTime


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Regarding to the Vedic astrology in Sri Lanka, there are 27 of asterism. People do

believe on this asterism very much. When a child born to this world, according to

that time the astrologer seeks for the babys birth asterism and after that whatever

the occasion the child come across the parents look for it. Basically when the

people suppose to a good thing or bliss activity, they look forward for a auspicious

time. And they do believe if the work starts on that auspicious time, it will be

successful. The wedding ceremony, weaning ceremony, house warming, and

engagement and also puberty ceremony etc. are some of the ceremonial occasions

which are the man come across in his life.

Likewise the pubertal time also take under the prosperity and ceremonial occasion.

The parents and relatives of the pubertal girl look forward at the asterism which the

girl got attend and relate to the asterism, it depicts the predictions regarding the

girl. Nowadays the modern people do not go further on these things but there are

people who thoroughly believe on the asterism.

The description according to the 27thof asterism as follows;

1.4 Kotahalu Ygaya


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When the society was not civilized and had no technology like today, the beliefs

and thoughts were got the priority among all more than the facts and figures that

we concern today. The man believed on nature and supernatural elements which

were combine with the folk community and they believed that the dangerous

statements and as well as the protected statements brought to their lives by the

nature and supernatural elements such as demons. As a result of that the folk

community was followed magic; rituals. Shnthikarma is such a custom which

was held by the folk man to get the blessings from god and goddess and also to

beware from the demons either evil spirits or the stars which bring harm to the

people. The pre-historic man applied consciousness quality and divinity to theunconsciousness things and holds veneration and ritualism to them and appreciates

their qualities and believed through that they can build up a close relationship with

the god and goddess. When the gods provoked it caused to take place heavy rains,

drought, floods, and epidemics. Beware from those obstacles; the man should held

rituals continuously and pitifully to the gods1

The main component of the study; Kotahalu Ygaya is as such a ritualism which is

based on the pubertal girl. Before explain the purpose of holding the Kotahalu

Ygaya, it is necessary to explain the direct meaning of it. Kotahalu, in Sinhalese

Kota refer to short and Halu/Salu refer to dress; it means that remove the short

dress which were wore by the girl before her puberty. We all know that the small

girls before they got puberty, they wear short dresses. But the having first period or

the puberty indicates the end of that the life of the small girl and stepped in to the

adolescence life.

1 The Sinhalese Folk Play, Ediriweera sarachchandra, page 6, 9thedition


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The asterism of the pubertal girl is not good for the pubertal girl, family and as

well as relatives, the family of the girl tend to held the Kotahalu Ygaya, and to

protect her from the unfruitful statements which was followed from the stars and

other power forces.

The ritualism; Kotahalu Ygaya is the only ritual system which is aimed for a

female in Kandyan dance tradition. And also the first participation of the female

for a Shanthikarma is noted from this ritualism. Despite the other rituals which are

belonging to the Kandyan dance tradition, this is kind of important and also it is a

thing which is dying day by day. We wont be able to see this ritualism ineverywhere of the country. Basically it is held at Nuwara Kalawiya which is

known as Northern central today.

The astrologer is the one who decide whether the Kotahalu Ygaya should be done

or not. According to his advices the date should be fixed. Consider about the

history of the Kotahalu Ygaya, it goes to the days the king Mahsammatha ruled

the country. And the firstly the Kotahalu Ygaya has been done for the daughters

of the king Mahsammatha named Saraswathi and Umayangana But it is not

confirmed and cannot say it straightly. It uttered according to the folk lore of the

community. Besides this story, at some places it is said as the first Kotahalu

Ygaya has been performed for the wife of the king Mahsammatha, M Dvi.

However even nowadays it exists with beliefs of the past.

The Kotahalu Ygaya is performed by the people from the Dhobi caste and at

Northern central at times it is performed by the people from the Berawa caste. It is

a compulsory thing in this ritualism.


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There is a special mandapa (pavilion) as in every shnthikarma and we called it as

kolamaduwa. Inside that pavilion it is necessary to keep a mat on the floor and

on that mat it keeps; rice/ paddy, a winnowing fan with fish, meat, turmeric, salt

and curry powders; it is named as pasmooru kulla. And after all the ingredients

placed at the mat, it is named as kotahalu goda.And there is a special place to sit

for the pubertal girl besides her there are two married dhobi women to be seated.

And the girl should come to the particular pavilion by covering her head with a

white cloth. And it is called as mottekkili; it symbolise that the physical changes

and psychological changes of the pubertal girl and she has entered for the new life

and as she is going to begins her woman hood. The charmers/ shamans whoperformed the ritualism also dressed up with a dress called thuppotti.

Before it starts the main shaman worship the triple gems in according to the

Buddhism. And the family members, relatives and consanguineous brother in low

of the pubertal girl are participated for this ritualism. Consanguineous brother in

low has a respectful placement at the event because at the early time of the society,

the marriage between a man and a woman happened in according to the

consanguinity.

The Kotahalu Ygaya has its own agenda like the other rituals has. There are six

events included in the Kotahalu Ygaya. Such as;

1. Pirima (start of the ritualism): at the beginning of the ritualism, the mainshaman and other shaman prays for the lord Buddha and get the blessings to

the girl and sing the stanzas and verses which has the Buddhist thoughts.

2. Sannaya (saying some quatrains): saying the quatrains which is related to thehistoric story of the Kotahalu Ygaya and stanzas which is regarding the

birth of the Giridevi, wannam and Jathaka stories.


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3. Mandi wattama (a dancing part): in this section the main shaman and othershamans together dance in a circle and here they take a chance to perform

their dancing talent and not like other rituals, here they follow the soft

dancing steps. And while they do dance they sing benevolent verses for the

pubertal girl.

4. Sirasa pda kavi (benevolent verses which was made to leave aside theunfruitfulness and any disabilities which has head to the leg of the person ):

here the shamans sing the benevolent verses, and through that they believe

that if there is any disabilities occurs to the girl, it will reduce by singing

those verses. And at the end of the each verse, the dhobi women who wereseated by the sides of the pubertal girl say Aayu bo wew. The meaning of

that is may have a long life; it is kind of a method of benevolent in

traditional rituals.

5. Sallale kima ()6. Hamaraya (The end of the ritualism): The main shaman takes the main role

in this event. He takes a flambeau to the hand and he twists the flambeau

three times around the pubertal girl and hand over it to her with the blessings

of him and ask her to wish that all the unfruitful statements will go away

from her and will have a good life ahead. After that the main charmer asks

her to take the flambeau and go inside the home.

The ritual system is like that I have mentioned in the precious paragraph and even

though it is very short there are some symbolic and ironic segments which is

combine with the subject of the Social Anthropology. And simply we cannot look

down upon it and remove it from our tradition.


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At the next chapter of the study, it is the main purpose to examine the combination

between the pubertal rituals, Kotahalu Ygaya and the Comparative method; Social

Anthropology.

Chapter 02

Social anthropological insight of the Kotahalu Ygaya

The main segment of my study is that the search about the value and the

combination between these two different areas; the Social anthropology and

Kotahalu Ygaya which is combine with the pubertal rituals. At the previous

chapter, it has been explained about both social anthropology and Kotahalu

Ygaya. In this section, it will be discuss in comparatively and deeply.

As it was mentioned in the previous chapter, there are four main branches in

Social anthropology apart from the other sub fields. The first one is cultural

anthropology; Culture represents the entire data base of the knowledge, values and

traditional viewing of world, which have been transmitted from one generation to

another generation, non- genetically through the words, concepts and symbols.

Through the cultural anthropology, the anthropologist seeks the cultural values of

the society which has been come from a generation to another. Through the

comparative method, the anthropologist seeks the customs and beliefs of the

society.


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Culture, is one of the most important segment which is talking in social

anthropology. For each and every human society has a culture. Society is filled

with lot of internal and external human affairs and therefore there is an inseparable

connection between the society and culture. There are many societies all over the

world, such as; primitive societies, folk societies, peasant societies, urban societies.

And it is a common thing to have a culture for any type of a society. Each man is

born and died in a culture. The man as a member of the society, it is compulsory to

learn about the culture which he is belonging to. And therefore it is necessary to

socialise according to the culture.

Culture is what we get while living in the society, commonly used by the people,

and the collection of ideas that hand over to the future generation which we have

behind our behaviour and ideas1Raymond Firth has been interpreted the culture

like that. Culture is a collection of the Physical and non-physical cultures and the

language which is heritage by the society and the life style of the people 2. Apart

from that The culture is a life style which followed by the commune or the

tribesmen3

. However the culture is complex and culture depend on some reasons,

such as; geographical constituents, climate factors, the historical incidents which

were faced by the country and religious ideologies.

Now it is easy to identify the cultural anthropological elements of the Kotahalu

Ygaya. The ritualism was made at the folk society; their beliefs guided them to

follow up such things. Even though the Kotahalu Ygaya rarely performed it still it

remains because of the culture. No matter how far the technology develops the

beliefs of the peasant community has transferred to us through the symbols and

thoughts.

1Raymond Firth

2S.Winston, Culture and the Behaviour

3C.Wissler, An Introduction to Social Anthropology,1929


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The customs which is based on the girls puberty depicts it very well. The taboo

concept marked a good place on it. In Sinhalese we named it as Killa. The

puberty is based on that concept. In the folk society people were afraid of this

taboo concept. That is the reason to keep the pubertal girl at the side of the house

or at times out of the house. The peasant community believed that if somebody

caught to this Taboo, there is more capacity to have the attachments of the demons.

They were afraid of the demons and either evil spirits. And they believed that the

Blood is a main meal of some demons; especially Kalu Kumara is the demon who

gets attached to the females and sickens the women. Because of all the folk

community concern the puberty as a segment which Taboo includes. And it is stillcounted in the modern society.

Kotahalu Ygaya; we talked about the main purpose of having it and for what? It is

all because of the beliefs of the people. The basis of the ritualism provokes it very

well. We cannot ignore it because it was took place in a primitive culture, we as a

member of this society must accept it and search about it. The word primitive in

the sense in which it has become established in anthropological literature does not

mean that the societies it qualifies are either earlier in time or inferior to other

kinds of societies1.

When we seek about the cultural anthropological insight of the Kotahalu Ygaya;

as we mentioned the culture itself includes the beliefs and ethics. We can see the

facts of it through the Kotahalu Ygaya. As the result of the peasant communitys

beliefs; the shanthikarma performed. Folk society was afraid of the dangerous

things which come to their lives so that they followed different type of rituals, like

shanthikarma. The tradition of ones society brings all those mythical stories about

the demons, evil spirits and supernatural powerful forces and magic. Present time

1Evans Pritchard, Social Anthropology, page 7,1951


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also we can see the people who believe on these things, and we also tend to believe

on that.

Magic; was originated because of the beliefs of the peasant society. magical

ideas of causation universally fell in to two categories. One was the notion that

produced like, which called law of similarity or homeopathic magic: the other one

is; casual idea was that things which had once been in contact continued to act on

each other at a distance, the law of contact or contagious magic.1The Kotahalu

Ygaya is kind of a segment which is based on the magic.

There are three types of magic which the primitive society followed; productive,protective and destructive magic2. The primitive society people believed that to

get the benefits from their economic activities it is necessary to follow the

productive magic and to prevent and protect from the diseases, demons and all they

followed protective magic. To destroy someone or something they followed

destructive magic. According to that description, we can identify that Kotahalu

Ygaya is considered as a protective magic method.

Moreover, Magic can be divided for two segments, Black magic and White

magic3. According to the interpretation which was done Malinowsky; the

Kotahalu Ygaya is considered to the white magic segment. White magic is held

for the goodness of the man and black magic is held for the non-goodness of the

man. Therefore the Kotahalu Ygaya is belonging to the White magic segment.

Even though the primitive man did not have the technological mind, his all the

works which they have done has a deep meaning and purpose for each and every

activity.

1J.G. Frazer, The Golden Bough

2Raymond Firth, Human Types

3B.Malinowsky, Magic, Science and Religion and other essays, 1948


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As we talked about the culture, we knew that the man is born and died in a culture

and we must learn about it and according to that we must socialise. A new born

baby, step by step by step has to learn how to live in the society and how to move

with the culture. For all those things he learns from the society and the back

ground and the nature. Simply we can say that practice the child to surrounding

nature and society is socialisation. It is a learning purpose of the culture. Through

the Kotahalu Ygaya and the puberty we can see one kind of a socialisation in the

society. The purpose of the customs which are related to the puberty is an effort

which was taken by the society to practise the girl to her new position; adulthood

or the woman hood. The pubertal girl has a different place in the house anddeparted from the family for a little period. It symbolise that within that little

period she learns the change physical change of her body and life. And she has an

auspicious time/ asterism to face for the family and relatives. That is also an

endeavour to realise for the girl about her new segment in her life. After the

puberty, the girl is sexually matured. Bathing at an auspicious time, covering her

body with the white cloth, seeing her face for the first time after the puberty

through water filled bowl, look at a tree which has milky trunk (jack tree) etc.

symbolise the prosperity and fruitfulness of her life. The peasant society ironically

passes the message to the others and these customs act as a part of the

socialisation.

The puberty ceremony and the Kotahalu Ygaya is an event which helps to

improve the relationship and kinship between the relatives and neighbours. At the

peasant society, the collectivism was highlighted. Not like the present day, the

group formation was highly remarkable at the folk society. And the family concept

is the main primary group of the society. The cooperation between the family

members can be seen in the puberty ceremony and the Kotahalu Ygaya. Family


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means to a married couple or a kinship group who is engaged at one house while

nourishing the children and having economic cooperation.1 According to the

interpretation it is necessary to have cooperation between the family and the

Kotahalu Ygaya and puberty ceremony is a great chance to improve the

relationship. And also the Kotahalu Ygaya depicts the Sinhalese kinship method

which we usually had in early age of the society and as well as rarely still exist; the

Consanguinity.

The worlds kinship can be divided for two sections; Consanguinity and

Affinity2. The Kotahalu Ygaya depicts the consanguinity. The pubertal girls

consanguineous brother in low has a respectful place at that time because the girls

puberty symbolise the sexual maturity and therefore it endeavour that the girl is

ready to marry. Early age of the Sinhalese society the marriage between

consanguineous brother in low and sister in low was frequently happened (cross

kinship). And the both parties were eagerly watched over the girls puberty. The

marriage is the basic component which is conserved the existence of the human

being. At this ritualism the folk community has thought about that concept too.

And also they did not forget the marriage rule which they had.

Kinship

Family Marriage3

1Kathleen Gough, The Origin of the Family

2Lewis Henry Morgan.

3A chart of Fox Robbins

Social

structure


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The balance between these three concepts has been endeavoured by the folk

community and it is provoked by the Kotahalu Ygaya.

Moreover the peasant community concept of the caste also depicts through the

Kotahalu Ygaya. The dhobi is the one who comes to do all the customs at the

puberty ceremony and as well as we can see the participation of them to the

ritualism; Kotahalu Ygaya. The reason of getting the participation of dhobis for

the puberty ceremony is probably because of the concept of Killa/ Taboo. However

the primitive society people balanced each and every concept which they had at

that time and it is remarkable and admirable.

Likewise we can identify the cultural anthropological values of the puberty rituals

and Kotahalu Ygaya. It can be described as above.

The other main field of the social anthropology is Biological anthropology.

Human history begins in different place back in time. It starts about 8 millions of

years ago. Through this section the social anthropologist seeks the bio cultural

nature of the human and evolution of the brain and all. How it belongs to the

Kotahalu Ygaya and the female puberty? As a result of the primitive mankinds

thoughts and ideas, the ritualism above to happen and because of that still we have

something in our mind which is not came through the practice or learning but

through the system of the body, genetically through the blood cells it is included in

our brain and hormones. If it was not such a thing we do not know about such

ritualism called Kotahalu Ygaya and either the importance of the puberty rituals

and customs. When compare it with the western culture, there are no such things in

the western people because their ancestors did not follow up such rituals and they

considered it as a biological change of the human body. And in new generation of

the western culture, do not think about these things because it has not been


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transferred genetically as they did not have any kind customs to be transferred. But

in our culture it occurs to us. Even though that we as the young generation of the

society and living in a modern world and knowing the scientific facts and figures;

still we have a feeling of the basis rituals and customs on particular shanthikarma

and puberty. The reason for that is our ancestors or primitive/ folk community

followed all the customs and rituals and it has been transferred to us through

genetically. That we cannot avoid although we wanted, our mind is not set for it.

The subconscious will answer for that. There are such things which we can gain

though the practice and some are gain through within our blood cells; we take them

behind us when we come to this world.

The biological anthropological view of the Kotahalu Ygaya can be explained like

that, and it is necessary to mention that to seek the bio cultural importance we do

not need fossil to examine, the thoughts and ideas and norms are well enough to

come to a conclusion. And it is proven from the above paragraph.

Linguistic anthropology is the next main branch of the social anthropology. One

fascinating item which culture holds is the language. Culture itself depends on the

language and within the language it dwell the knowledge of the humanity. The two

subjects are combining with each together and accompanied. Language is the

hallmark of our species. It is upon language that human culture itself depends. The

language came across to the world as an experiment of the pre historic man. First

the man used a dumb language to communicate their feelings and ideas. The

symbols which were used by their body were enough to communicate at that time.

And next when they felt it was not quite enough they draw symbols and step by

step they opened the mouth and aware of the sounds. Evolutionary the path of the

language is that and it has been increased to what we are using today.


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In the section of linguistic anthropology, the anthropologist seeks to identify the

very nature of the language and how it occurs to human brain and behaviour. There

is no confine for it. When we seek about the language of the Kotahalu Ygaya, we

can assumed that even the ritualism took place at the primitive society they have

brave enough to build up the quatrains and stanzas. They have a different style; it

is not the language which we are using today. Sanskrit or likely it has been said.

According to the quatrains and chants and stanzas, and how they spell it; it

symbolise the ability of the folk people. The purpose of performing the Kotahalu

Ygaya is to protect the pubertal girl from the unfruitfulness statements which

brings through the impact of the stars. Praying language comprised within themand it depicts the way of the thinking of folk people.

Archaeology is the final sub section of the subject social anthropology. At times

we wont able to find any records or written documents eitherany book regarding

the pre historic man or society either the culture. But it can be preserved in some

other ways such as; paintings, photographs, ruins, stones, discarded tools and some

ways. Archaeologist interprets the pre historic culture, society, the way of living of

the people and much more by doing researches through the findings and re

assemble the pre historic data and assume as it was.

When it applies to the Kotahalu Ygaya, we do not find any fragment as I

mentioned in the above paragraph. But the Kotahalu Ygaya; the ritualism itself a

fragment and it helps to picture about the peasant society and behaviour of the

folks. The reason, why am I saying is, long ago at the peasant society the Kotahalu

Ygaya; the shanthikarmaya was born and it exists today even rarely performed.

There are no written documents regarding this ritualism and it happens to transfer

through the words and methods. The customs and basis of it depicts the mind of


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the folk institution. We cannot say that it is not like, it is. Not only the Kotahalu

Ygaya, all the other ritualism can be undertaken in the category of Archaeology.

The social anthropological fact and figures which are included in the Kotahalu

Ygaya and the puberty ceremony can be described as above and it is proven in

according to elements of it. And at last I must mention that the combination among

the entire sub fields; cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, linguistic

anthropology and archaeology are really important to understand very well before

it compares with another subject. And the subfields are combining all together and

they cannot be divided.


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Chapter 03

Summary and Conclusion

3.1 Gist of the study

The purpose of doing this study was to find out the combination between one of

the Sinhalese ritualism which is based on the puberty ceremony and rituals, named

Kotahalu Ygaya and the Comparative method known as Social Anthropology. In

according to my opinion I believe that I did the task up to some extend which I

satisfied.

The rituals what we had and brought up by our peasant people and society has no

proper identification nowadays. It is because of the economic growth with the

technology and the development of the science. But except Asian students either

teachers of the world has not paid their attention to their own heritage which

describes their own history and elements. Rather than avoiding the particular

circumstances considered as it is a myth. Most of the people at the society look

down upon the past rituals and customs without knowing the value of them. It is

time to dig in to the past history of ours and study about our own things.


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The Social Anthropological Insight of the Kotahalu Yaagaya

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