An Investigative Study of Modern Social Attitudes towards the Current Status of Religious Beliefs Associated with the Concept of Shiva (A Study of Selected Major Shiva Temples in Sri Lanka)

Folktales can be recognized as an Ancient Intangible Heritage of the entire Human race. Since time immemorial, man has become a pyramid of collective wisdom built through the practice of systematic thinking. Folk religion, which is a major part of folk culture, can be identified as a set of beliefs and beliefs that are born in each culture and passed down from generation to generation. Also, this concept was a great opportunity to showcase the culture of the common people of society with various religious beliefs and practices centered on Lord Shiva. The primary problem of this research is to study what the modern social attitudes are towards the current status of religious beliefs related to the concept of Shiva. The primary objective of this study is to identify the behavior and religious beliefs associated with Shiva temples in the context of current social changes. As a research method, data was collected using the participatory observation method under the Qualitative Research method. Also, statistically based Quantitative data was used to identify the number of Shiva temples Established in Sri Lanka and their distribution. This study was conducted in connection with some selected major Shiva temples in Sri Lanka. Due to the strong attraction that developed in the human mind towards God in cultural integration, various social trends related to God were created. Lord Shiva, who occupies a prominent position in Hinduism as 'Mahadeva', takes precedence in Linga worship. Expectation of children can be identified as one of the main purposes of Shiva worship in local worship systems. The study revealed that the worship of Lord Shiva, which belongs to the rural religion, has been alienated from the common people. As a Maheshakya deity in the Hindu trinity, Shiva is supreme in his power and respectability. Thus, the overall research results revealed that the worship of Lord Shiva has moved away from the usual beliefs and worship.