ABSTRACT
In 1977, after years of failed socialism and the nationalization of the economy, a newly elected government of Sri Lanka with a pro-Western diplomatic tilt jumpstarted what was avowedly championed as a capitalistic “open economy.” The new government initiated large-scale development schemes, including the construction of several reservoirs and irrigation projects by Britain, Sweden, Germany, and Canada. Other plans included establishing free-trade zones and nurturing what would become the spectacular growth of the nation’s tourist industry. The consequence of the “open economy” was rapid social change, particularly in the Sinhala regions of the country. Westerners seemed to swarm over the island. In the following essay, I reflect on how social change impacts religious culture, specifically focusing on how this change registered at the most important ritual and pilgrimage site for Sinhala Buddhists: the Dalada Maligava (“Temple of the Tooth-Relic”) in Kandy, the last of the traditional royal capitals. I also observe how social change in Sri Lanka is sanctioned by its rationalized associations with the Buddha.
