Devatha
Devatha refers to a class of divine beings in Sri Lankan Buddhist and animist traditions, encompassing nature spirits, guardian deities, and ancestral spirits that protect villages, forests, and waterways. The concept blends pre-Buddhist animist beliefs with Theravada Buddhist cosmology, where devathas are benevolent beings who have achieved a favorable rebirth through merit but remain within the cycle of samsara. In Sri Lankan folk Buddhism, devathas are actively worshipped and propitiated, with rituals seeking their protection for crops, journeys, and daily life. Unlike the fully enlightened