Deborah de Koning, MA

My NWO-funded PhD project concerns the contemporary (re)appraisal and revitalisation of Ravana amongst Sinhalese Buddhists in Sri Lanka. Ravana is nowadays regarded by several Sinhalese Buddhists (Sri Lanka?s ethnic majority) as a heroic ruler and at some places in Sri Lanka Ravana is even venerated as a god. To investigate the phenomenon of Ravanisation (the contemporary revitalization of Ravana) I am conducting fieldwork research in Sri Lanka at two sites. At those particular sites I focus on stories, folklore, poetry, rituals, performances, experiences and material expressions concerning Ravana. By doing this I will investigate how and why Ravana is nowadays revitalised within the context of Sinhalese self-understanding and (ethnic) identity construction in a post-war situation.