Devalaya in Sri Lanka Devalaya (lit: the Abode of God) (Sinhala: ශ්රී ලංකාවේ දේවාල) is a type of shrine normally located within or attached to a Buddhist Viharaya in Sri Lanka (Holt, 2004). However, there are some Devalas that are constructed separately from Buddhist temples but they function under the nominal jurisdiction of the Buddhist temple of the particular area (Gamage, 2018). Devalas are venerated by Sinhalese Buddhists and sometimes by Tamil Hindus. Although the rituals performed in Devalaya are similar to those observed in Hindu shrines (Kovils), they have evolved their own practices and deity concepts (De Silva & Chandrasekara, 2009). A person with the title " Kapu-mahattaya " acts as the intermediary between the god and the patrons and this position is usually passed down through one family (Gamage, 2018). Deities Devalas are found scattered throughout the country mainly in Central, Sabaragamuwa, Uva and Southern provinces. Presently, in every Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka, there is at …
