Meanings
plural devales
- A Hindu temple in Sri Lanka.
Worshippers at the devale would hand over a small offering of betel and incense sticks to the kapurala and tell him their problems.
1992, Piya Tan, Buddhist currents: a brief social analysis of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Siam, →OCLC1 more example
Both the Maligava and the devales are administered by chief temple officials and their deputies, the services during the festival from providing supplies and decorations to participation in the processions are performed by temple tenants who hold temple lands (vihāragam and dēvālagam) in lieu of their rājakāriya (lit. "king's work," in this case temple service).
1972, Hans Dieter Evers, Monks, Priests and Peasants: A Study of Buddhism and Social Structure in Central Ceylon
Origin
- Sanskritदेवालय
- Sinhaleseදේවාලය
- Englishdevale
From Sinhalese දේවාලය (dēwālaya), from Sanskrit देवालय (devālaya).
More words from Sinhalese, Sanskrit
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
devale. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/devale
“devale.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/devale. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “devale,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/devale.
Source: devale on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.