ABSTRACT
Some pilgrimage workers have developed devotion to the bodhisattva god Saman, the guardian of Sri Pada who invited the Buddha to leave his footprint on the summit. Although most Tamil workers are Hindu and believe the footprint belongs to Siva, they still make room in home and business rituals for Saman. In this way, Hindu devotion to Saman may be a sincere religious practice, as well as a strategic adoption to appease the Buddhist majority. This religious innovation thereby blurs divisions between prevailing ethno-religious categories of “Sinhala Buddhist” and “Tamil Hindu”, as shared language and ritual reflect everyday lived interactions at pluralistic pilgrimage sites, highlighting forms of cultural outreach that Tamil Sri Lankans have made to be good neighbours, even to those who believe Sri Lanka is synonymous with Sinhala Buddhists. In turn, more equitable management of pluralistic pilgrimage sites may better encourage unified approaches to shared concerns, including environmental conservation at Sri Pada.
