Sanjyot Mehendale (UC Berkeley), 
South Asia Studies Colloquium

Buddhism, Trade, and the Making of an Avalokiteśvara Cult in Sri Lanka

This paper presents the preliminary results obtained from the Avalokiteśvara Survey Project launched by the Center for Buddhist Studies, UC Berkeley, and the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS-ENS) in Paris, in collaboration with the Department of Archaeology in Sri Lanka. Using GIS mapping software to uncover spatial and temporal patterns, this project aims to investigate the relationship between Buddhism and maritime trade in Sri Lanka, in particular the role of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara as the protector of seafarers. This paper is presented on behalf of my colleagues Prof. Osmund Bopearachchi (UC Berkeley/ CNRS,Paris), Prof. Nuwan Abeywardana (Rajarata University), Dr. Kalpa Asanga (Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka), and Kellie Powell (Doctoral Candidate, UC Berkeley).