Work

The Death Donation Association: Reconfiguring Kinship and Solidarity in a Sinhala Buddhist Village

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Death serves as a significant ritual focal point in Sri Lankan society, with organisations like the Death Donation Association (DDA) (maranadhara samitiya) playing a central role. This paper examines the DDA’s operations to foster communal solidarity in a rural Sri Lankan village in the North Central Province, based on a fourteen-month ethnographic study. While kinship bonds remain central to village identity, the DDA leverages shared experiences of death and kinship rhetoric tied to obligations and reciprocity to mobilise collective action. It also acts as a platform for mutually beneficial relationships between villagers and local politicians and extends its authority beyond funerals to other village affairs. This paper argues that the DDA serves as a critical mechanism for navigating the transition from traditional kinship to a post-kinship community, where solidarity is constructed through shared experiences and kinship rhetoric negotiated through institutional frameworks.

Source: South Asia Journal of South Asian Studies

DOI: 10.1080/00856401.2026.2625560

Author: Tharindi Udalagama

Institution: University of Edinburgh

Language: English

Topic: Death, Funerary Practices, and Mourning

Subfield: Anthropology

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: Commonwealth Scholarship Commission