Tab Article

ratings: ★★★★☆ (4.4/5)
Genre: Cultural Studies, Sri Lankan History, Folklore, Anthropology

Book Review:
Professor V. Vitharana's ''Sun and Moon in Sinhala Culture'' is a fascinating and erudite exploration of how two of the most fundamental celestial bodies have shaped the worldview, art, literature, and daily life of the Sinhala people. This book is a testament to Vitharana's stature as a true polymath, a researcher comfortable moving between the disciplines of language, literature, religion, archaeology, and cultural anthropology.

The sun and moon are, of course, universal symbols, found in cultures across the globe. Vitharana's achievement is to show their unique and specific manifestations within the Sinhala cultural context. He draws on a vast array of sources: from classical literature and religious texts to folk poetry, rituals, art, and even agricultural practices. The reader gains insight into how these celestial bodies are woven into the fabric of existence—not just as distant objects in the sky, but as living presences that influence conceptions of time, destiny, morality, and beauty.

The book explores their roles in mythology and folklore, their place in astrological beliefs (which remain profoundly influential), and their representation in visual arts and temple architecture. Vitharana likely examines how the dualities of sun and moon—light and dark, male and female, heat and coolness—are used to structure thought and explain the cosmos.

Professor Vitharana is exceptionally well-qualified for this undertaking. As a Professor of Sinhala at the University of Ruhuna, the President of the Sri Lanka Kala Mandala (State Arts Council), and the President of the Munidasa Kumaratunga Foundation, he brings both deep academic knowledge and a leadership role in the cultural sphere to his work. His other major research publications, including works on Totagamuva, The Oru and the Yatra, and Baliyagaya (in Sinhala), establish him as a leading figure in Sri Lankan scholarship.

''Sun and Moon in Sinhala Culture'' is an invaluable resource for students of Sri Lankan studies, anthropology, and comparative mythology. It is a book that illuminates the deep, often subconscious, connections between the heavens and the rhythms of human culture on this island.