Kinnaraya (also Kinnarayo or Kinnara) is a social group or caste among the Sinhalese of Sri Lanka. Historically, they have been compared to the Paraiyar community of Tamil Nadu in South India.[1]
Origins
Mainstream Sinhalese speakers traditionally claim North Indian ethnic origins, yet the presence of several South Indian-type social groups like the Kinnaraya suggests a more complex pattern of migration from India to Sri Lanka. Some scholars believe that early Sinhalese society recruited labour from South India to support land clearance and the founding of new villages.[2]
Indigenous communities known in early texts as Yakkas and Nagas were gradually incorporated into the caste structure at lower levels, providing services essential for survival as their original habitats were altered or taken over. Alongside the Rodiya community, the Kinnaraya are considered by some researchers to be descendants of indigenous tribal groups that eventually became marginalised as a Dalit-like caste.[2]
Etymology
The origin of the word Kinnara is uncertain, and several theories have been proposed. In Hindu and Buddhist literature, the term carries various meanings, often referring to mythical celestial beings. However, the connection between this early term and the modern social group remains unclear.[2]
Status
The Kinnaraya community is numerically small and has historically occupied a low position in Sri Lanka's caste hierarchy. Many community members work as agricultural or domestic labourers, as overseas domestic workers in the Middle East, or as recruits in the Sri Lankan military, particularly following the ethnic violence of Black July in 1983.
Subdivisions
Historically, there may have been clan-like subdivisions within the Kinnaraya caste, though detailed records of these groups are not well documented in available literature.
Religion
While many Kinnaraya identify as followers of Theravada Buddhism, their religious practice often includes beliefs in demons, spirits, and Hindu deities, as well as rituals involving spirit possession and cursing. The Kinnaraya community is particularly known for its performances of the comic folk opera Sokari, which is staged on the Kamatha threshing floor in honour of the goddess Pattini and the god Kataragama.[2]
See also
References
- ↑ "Kinnara in Sri Lanka". joshuaproject.net. Joshua Project. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Riswan, M. "A Historical Survey of Social Class and Caste System in Sri Lanka (pp. 40–47)" (PDF). KALAM International Journal of Faculty of Arts and Culture, South Eastern University of Sri Lanka. Retrieved August 1, 2024.