The Role of Group Communication in Establishing the Concept of God in Sri Lankan Society

The belief that there is an invisible force that can manipulate and control human life is the wonderful acceptance that was seen in every society of that time. When questioned as to how the concept of God entered the beliefs and faith of man, it is clear that it goes back to his earliest days. Although it is impossible to come to a firm conclusion about the sacrificial methods that existed at that time, the feeling of God must have been established since the day when the belief that there is an invisible force that can manipulate oneself, began. The abundant harvest was considered a gift from God for the happy life of the people. Likewise, humans believed that diseases and natural hazards were caused by God’s anger. It is possible to study how this strong feeling which has been firmly established over millions of years, has been continuously strengthened from generation to generation through certain communication strategies. It is necessary to study what causes an invisible force to have such a strong influence on human thoughts and what effect communication has had on it. Accordingly, this study examined the effect of group communication on the establishment of the concept of God in Sri Lankan society. The research problem to be studied is how group communication affects the establishment of the concept of God in Sri Lankan society. It has been specifically investigated for the Dedimunda Deviyo in Aluth Nuwara Deewalaya in Kegalle District. Data required for the study was obtained through the survey method. The sample was randomly selected and limited to two hundred. Data was collected from them through questionnaires and interviews. In addition to that, further data was collected from the chief priest in charge of the Thewa of the Deewalaya through the interview method. Also, the required data was collected under the observation method. The collected data were analyzed in a mixed method using both quantitative and qualitative methods. It was concluded through this research that group communication has traditionally played a strong role in order to establish the concept of God Dedimunda in society.