Kataragama: A God for All Seasons (Disappearing World season 1, episode 7) (1973)
Title
Kataragama: A God for All Seasons (Disappearing World season 1, episode 7) (1973)
Subject
Sri Lanka
Hinduism
Buddhism
Islam
URL
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Description
Content description from WorldCat.org (https://www.worldcat.org/title/kataragama-a-god-for-all-seasons-disappearing-world/oclc/830033701):
Ratnyaka was 11 when he went into the jungle of Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon-and disappeared without a trace. His family consulted an astrologer who told them to put their plight to Kataragama, predicting the Hindu god would have the boy back in 21 days. While the boy's parents waited at home, the film team went to Kataragama's central shrine, witnessing terrifying scenes as worshippers thanked their god for granted favors: some walked through pits of red-hot fires or staggered on nailed shoes, while others hung themselves from butchers' hooks impaled on their backs. All the worshippers have their own vision of Kataragama, yet all agree he can do anything. At a time when other traditional gods were fading, more people were coming to Kataragama than ever in the past. After missing for more than a year, the boy Ratnyaka returned home.
Ephemera: available through CCDR Collections at Arizona State University. One small clipping from program guide; one photocopied longer description of program; one sticky note with handwritten notes.
Limitations: This page displays video content associated with a videotape in the CCDR Collections audiovisual library recorded by Joann W. Kealiinohomoku. Please be advised that, because this videotape has not yet been digitized for direct access, we cannot guarantee that the video content on this page is an exact match with the content originally recorded by Dr. Kealiinohomoku. We also cannot guarantee function or access for re-hosted video content.
Ratnyaka was 11 when he went into the jungle of Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon-and disappeared without a trace. His family consulted an astrologer who told them to put their plight to Kataragama, predicting the Hindu god would have the boy back in 21 days. While the boy's parents waited at home, the film team went to Kataragama's central shrine, witnessing terrifying scenes as worshippers thanked their god for granted favors: some walked through pits of red-hot fires or staggered on nailed shoes, while others hung themselves from butchers' hooks impaled on their backs. All the worshippers have their own vision of Kataragama, yet all agree he can do anything. At a time when other traditional gods were fading, more people were coming to Kataragama than ever in the past. After missing for more than a year, the boy Ratnyaka returned home.
Ephemera: available through CCDR Collections at Arizona State University. One small clipping from program guide; one photocopied longer description of program; one sticky note with handwritten notes.
Limitations: This page displays video content associated with a videotape in the CCDR Collections audiovisual library recorded by Joann W. Kealiinohomoku. Please be advised that, because this videotape has not yet been digitized for direct access, we cannot guarantee that the video content on this page is an exact match with the content originally recorded by Dr. Kealiinohomoku. We also cannot guarantee function or access for re-hosted video content.
Original Format
TV broadcast recorded off air by JWK: Betamax tape
Creator
Gananath Obeyesekere (anthropologist)
Brian Moser (series editor)
Charlie Nairn (producer)
David Naden (editor)
Publisher
Granada Television
Citation
“Kataragama: A God for All Seasons (Disappearing World season 1, episode 7) (1973),” Cross-Cultural Dance Resources Collections, accessed April 26, 2024, https://ccdrcollections.omeka.net/items/show/171.