GENDERED PERFOR(MAN)CE: A STUDY OF THE POSITION OF WOMEN IN THE KANDY ESALA PROCESSION

Abstract

Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kandy, Sri Lanka is considered a religious centre of paramount significance. It is also deemed home to certain age-old rituals, customs and an influential belief system. This study focuses on the subordinate position that women occupy in the context of the Dalada Maligawa, in relation to the grand Esala Procession which is one of the main ceremonies that is annually conducted there. It examines the (mis)conceptions that emerge under the pretext of religious practices and reinforce certain mainstream, stereotypical gender identities, thus excluding women from performing in the procession. The transcripts of the discussions held with selected stakeholders at the Dalada Maligawa constitute the primary data of the study. Through an analysis of the role of women in the Kandy Esala Procession, the study looks at the ways in which dominant perceptions of gender shape the gender relations within the context of the Dalada Maligawa.