Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
POYA DAYS
Poya(oruposatha) days fall on each full moon and have been observed by monks and
laypeople since the time of the Buddha as times to strengthen one's practice. Devout
Buddhists visit a temple, fast after noon and abstain from entertainment and luxury. At
their temple they may make offerings, attend teachings and meditate.Poyadays are pub-
lic holidays in Sri Lanka and each is associated with a particular ritual.
Durutu
(January) Marks the Buddha's first supposed visit to the island.
Vesak
(May) Celebrates the Buddha's birth, enlightenment andparinibbana(final
passing away).
Poson
(June) Commemorates Buddhism's arrival in Sri Lanka.
Esala
(July/August) Sees the huge Kandy festival, which observes, among other
things, the Buddha's first sermon.
Unduwap
(December) Celebrates the visit of Sangamitta, who brought the bodhi tree
sapling to Anuradhapura.
Hinduism
Tamil kings and their followers from South India brought Hinduism to northern Sri Lanka,
although the religion may have existed on the island well before the arrival of Buddhism,
as a result of the island's proximity to India and the natural cultural exchange that would
have taken place. Today, Hindu communities are most concentrated in the north, the east
and tea plantation areas.
Hinduism is a complex mix of beliefs and gods. All Hindus believe in Brahman: the
myriad deities are manifestations of this formless being, through which believers can un-
derstand all facets of life. Key tenets include belief in ahimsa (nonviolence), samsara (the
cycle of births and deaths that recur until one reaches a pure state), karma (the law of
cause and effect) and dharma (moral code of behaviour or social duty).
Hindus believe that living life according to dharma improves the chance of being born
into better circumstances. Rebirth can also take animal form, but it's only as a human that
one may gain sufficient self-knowledge to escape the cycle of reincarnation and achieve
moksha (liberation).
