A study of the timely importance of managing of managing national heritage sites with a focus on post - war Sinhala - Tamil reconciliation in relation to the holy precincts of Kataragama

Abstract

Heritage is a cultural treasure as well as a communicator that connects the past to the present It is a system of symbols for conveying massages about the past to those who live at present. In this sense heritage has its own values and cannot be classified under times, nations, races casts, etc. Generally an object of heritage possesses a symbolic value, an economic value, and an informational value, with can be used for several objectives; especially, by managing national heritage sites, ethnic reconciliation can be achieved. This potential of heritage management emerges while assessing the post-war political, social, economic, and cultural pattern of Sri Lanka, where it is required to achieve ethnic reconciliation between the Sinhalese and the Tamils. In this respect this paper primarily attempts to show the timely importance of heritage management. In this regard a sample research was made at the holy precincts of kataragama, analyzing historical sources and carrying out field surveys. In addition, in terms of secondary sources, research papers, books, periodicals, newspapers, and web documents were used, moreover, the location of a Buddhist temple, a Christian Church, a Hindu Temple, and a Mosque in the same premises and the cooperative behaviour of the visitors to kataragama who belong to all races and religious denominations of Sri Lanka, namely, Sinhala - Buddhist, Sinhala - Christian, Tamil - Hindu, Tamil - Christian, and Islamic, have a great relevance to the attempts made in achieving racial conciliation. Under mis a model can be developed for heritage management focused on a one - nation and one - country policy for Sri Lanka.