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30 EASTERN HORIZON | FEATURE

1. How has Sri Lanka’s Living Heritage been affected
Covid by the Covid-19 Pandemic?

Experiences The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly affected
Sri Lanka’s living heritage. Routine Buddhist rituals
including the making of various offerings by devotees
from Sri at prescribed times of the day at shrines are now
done by the resident monks due to the lockdown.
Traditional craftspeople have suspended their crafts as
Lanka: the collection and transportation of raw materials and
selling of craft items become impossible. Two other
specific examples of living culture that were affected by
Effects and the Covid-19 are outlined below.

1.1 Proscription of the annual Buddhist pilgrimages to
response Adam’s Peak: Many Sri Lankan Buddhists make annual

pilgrimages to the summit of Adam’s Peak (2,243 m
By Dr. B.D. Nandadeva (UNESCO Facilitator) above sea level) to worship what they believe to be the
footprint of Buddha, and to invoke the blessings of the
deity Saman, the mountain’s presiding deity and one of
the four guardian deities of the island.

The pilgrimage season traditionally begins on the full-
moon day of December and ends on the full-moon day
of April. This is an important element of the country’s
living heritage that is associated with countless beliefs,
rituals, folklore, poetry, taboos, and other cultural
practices. The caretaker monks were forced to end the
Dr Nandadeva is a retired professor from the pilgrimage season in the fourth week of March due to
University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. He has a M.Sc. in the lockdown and proscription of large gatherings to
Architectural Conservation (Moratuwa); a Graduate prevent the spread of the virus.
Diploma in Rock Art Conservation (Canberra), and
Ph.D. in Art Conservation Research (Delaware). He is 1.2 Restricting the celebration of the Sinhala and Tamil
an independent consultant on tangible and intangible New Year: Buddhist Sinhalese and Hindu Tamils of Sri
cultural heritage and in conservation science. Dr Lanka celebrate their traditional New Year in mid-April
Nandadeva I represented Sri Lanka at the 11th and to mark the entering of the sun to the house of Aries
13th Sessions of the Intergovernmental Committee on from the house of Pisces according to ancient Indian
Intangible Cultural Heritage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia astrology. Celebrations include religious observances,
(2016), and Mauritius (2018), and the 41st Session dressing-up with new clothes, cooking milk-rice at
of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Krakow, an auspicious moment, family and extended family
Poland in 2017. Currently, he is Vice-President of reunions at ancestral homes, showing gratitude to
ICOMOS-Sri Lanka. parents, pardoning each other for past mistakes and
renewing relationships, exchange of traditional sweets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... among the neighbors, and community entertainment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... with traditional games.
https://www.youtube.com/watch...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...