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Nalanda College, Colombo, Sri Lanka was an off shoot of Ananda College and was established as a separate school in November 1, 1925, by Mr. P. de S. Kularathne. Nalanda College, an icon in the education system of Sri Lanka is a prestigious institute in the forefront of holding out the nation’s rich cultural heritage. Inspired by Buddhism and Cherished by Scholars, Nalanda College has set the standards for independent national education.

How it all began...

It was a time when the English rulers kept Buddhists under colonial heel. A time when Buddhist parents were compelled to send their children to missionary schools since there were no indigenous schools of their own. It is in this context, that the foreigners like Colonel Henry Steel Olcott, Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and Miss Marie Musaeus Higgins arrived in this country, to help the few Buddhist leaders in their quest for moral and philosophical freedom.

When Ananda College was established in 1885, it attracted the attention of many Buddhists. Thus in no time students were drawn in from all corners of Sri Lanka, craving for education catered to suit their own culture. As a result, by the end of 1923, it was quite conspicuous that the infrastructure that was present could no longer cope with the ever-increasing demand.

A new wing for Ananda...

At that time Ananda playground was located in Campbell Place, Colombo. Next to the playground, was a stretch of land about one acre in extent. Mr. P. de S. Kularathne the then principal of Ananda College leased this land and moved in some junior classes of Ananda .These first classrooms were simply mud huts!

This new wing of Ananda was under the authority of Mr. E. W. Perera. He was a very efficient administrator, who did an excellent job in keeping the place clean and maintaining discipline among students. He was well rewarded for his hard work when this new institution was readily approved by the then director of education Mr. Robinson, who quite clearly was very impressed with the way it was functioning.

Mr. Kularathne went even further and bought another four acres, from an adjacent land, which cost him 55,000 Rupees at that time. A new building comprising of 16 rooms was constructed on this newly acquired land soon after. Sir Gregory Thompson, the then Governor of Ceylon, laid the foundation stone in 1922. Out of it's 16 rooms, which were the best that had been built for Ananda so far, two were used as laboratories and two others as the staff room and the principal's office. The remaining 12 rooms were used as classrooms under the authority of Mr. L. H. Meththananda. Mr. E. W. Perera was appointed the head master. The Venerable Balangoda Ananda Maithriya became the first Dharmacharya.

'Nalanda' A new school...

Mr. Kularathne registered this off shoot of Ananda as a separate school on November 1, 1925. The day was so chosen because it was the 39th Anniversary of Ananda and Mr. L. H. Meththananda became the first principal of Nalanda. Venerable Balangoda Ananda Maithriya was allotted the task of finding a name and a motto for this new school. He named it Nalanda and chose Apadana Sobhini Panna meaning character illuminates knowledge as the motto. Nalandians old and new have lived up to it; and will strive to do so in future as well.

THE GREAT PARADOX OF NALANDA If the school was opened in 1925 Nalanda couldn't have celebrated 75 years of service to the nation on November 1, 1999; but since they did so, they were compelled to do so on grounds that Nalanda was indeed opened in 1924. Yet if Nalanda was opened in 1924 why was it only registered in 1925, a year later?

Mr. Kularathne acted quite generously in choosing his best pupils to be among the initial batch of 330 Anandians who were sent to Nalanda (Ananda?) in 1924 (inconsistent with above!), from both the senior and the junior schools. His intention was to attain outstanding results from Nalanda, at the up coming Government Examination. Not surprisingly in 1926, the Nalandians out shadowed the Anandians, though to everyone's relief the downfall of the Anandians was temporary!

ALL IN A DAY'S WORK! This infant school was put into the care of Professor G. P. Malalasekara, an intellectual giant, who was appointed as the principal of Nalanda on January 1, 1926. At the time there were a total number of 557 students at Nalanda.

Mr. Kularathne laid down the foundation stone for another building on the March 30, 1926. It was the second building to be constructed at Nalanda, in a series of many others that were to follow towards the end of the 1900's.

Anagarika Dharmapala lent money to Mr. Kularanthne to build the Nalanda primary school. He was later repaid by Mr. Malalasekara.

POINTS TO PONDER

A Clone?

During the time of the Second World War, Nalanda was split into two separate institutions. One was moved to Maharagama and the other to Minuwangoda. Though Nalanda was restored, once the insecure period was over, Venerable Hinatiye Dhammaloka registered the institution that started in Minuwangoda as a separate school. It was also named "Nalanda".

Principals

  • L. H. Meththananda 1925 - 1926
  • Gunapala Malalasekara 1926 - 1927
  • G. K. W. Perera 1927 - 1928
  • J. N. Jinendradasa 1928 - 1946
  • D. C. Lowris 1947 - 1952
  • M. de S. Jayarathne 1953 - 1955
  • M. W. Karunananda 1956 - 1962
  • K. M. W. Kuruppu 1962 - 1963
  • D. J. Edirisinghe 1963 - 1964
  • Gunapala Wickramarathne 1964 - 1969
  • Sugunadasa Athukorala 1969 - 1982
  • Dharma Gunasinghe 1982 - 1990
  • G. D. Sumanasekara 1990 - 1994
  • Edward Ranasinghe 1994 - 1999
  • Hemantha Premathilaka 1999 -

Most of the material contained in this page has been composed from data found in the souvenir, which was released to mark the 60th anniversary of Nalanda College in 1986.

Notable Old Boys

  • Venerable Piyadassi Maha Thera - Great preacher of the Dhamma and former Viharadhikari of the Vajiraramaya Temple Bambalapitiya
  • Pradeep Nilanga Dela Bandara - Diyawadana Nilame of the Sri Dalada Maligawa
  • His Excellency. Mahinda Rajapaksa - Hon President of Sri Lanka
  • Hon. Nimal Siripala De Silva - Health Minister, Government Spokesperson, Leader of the House
  • Hon. Anura Priyadarshana Yapa - Information and Media Minister, former Deputy Minister of Media, Posts and Telecommunications, former Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education
  • Hon. Tissa Karaliyedda - Indigenous Medicine Minister
  • Hon. Gamini Jayawickrama Perera - Former Irrigation and Water Management Minister
  • Hon. Dr Rajitha Senaratne - Former Lands Minister
  • Hon. Lal Dharmapriya Gamage - Former Minister Assisting Foreign Affairs
  • Hon. Maithripala Senanayake – Former Deputy Prime Minister, Former Minister of Transport, Minister of Industries and Trade, Minister of Irrigation, Power and Highways, Sri Lanka’s longest member of Parliament for 47 consecutive years
  • Hon. I.M.R.A Iriyagolla – Former Minister of Education, famous Sinhala writer
  • Hon. H. R Piyasiri - Former Minister of Youth Affairs, Former Chairman of Lotteries Board
  • Hon. Dr Dharmasena Attygalle - Former Minister of Indigeneous Medicine, Former High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in Pakistan
  • Hon. Dr Jayalath Jayawardane - Former Minister of Rehabilitation
  • Professor Nandadasa Kodagoda – Former Vice chancellor of the University of Colombo and Dean of the Medical Faculty
  • Professor H.D Gunawardhana - Former Acting Vice Chancellor and Head Of Chemistry Department of University of Colombo, Council Member of Sri Lanka Standards Institute, Former Chairman of Steering Committee of Chemical Sciences NARESA, Former President of Institute of Chemistry Ceylon, Former Chairman of Royal Society of Chemistry Sri Lanka
  • Professor Athula Gunawardena - Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, USA
  • Professor Abhaya Induruwa - First Head of Department of Computer Science & Engineering University of Moratuwa, Department of Computing Christ Church University Canterbury UK
  • Professor Ranjan Perera - Associate Director of Genomics, Genesis Research and Development Corporation, Auckland, New Zealand
  • Professor Sardha Wijesoma - Former Head of Department of Computer Science & Engineering University of Moratuwa, Department of Instrumentation Nanyang Technological University Singapore
  • Associate Professor Janaka Ruwanpura - Director of Project Management Specialization University of Calgary Canada, National Chairman of Student Affairs Committee of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering
  • Dr Athula Sumathipala - Institute of Psychiatry Kings College University of London, Former Director Bioethics Initiative Forum for Research and Development Sri Lanka
  • Dr Rohitha Batugahage - Senior Lecturer, Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya
  • Dr Irwin Jayasuriya - Former Chairman of the Ceylon Transport Board, former Special Assistant to the Director of the Colombo Plan Bureau, Vice Chairman of the Ceylon National Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis - CNAPT
  • M.J Perera – Former Vice Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya, First Ceylonese Director General of the then Radio Ceylon, Founder Chairman of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and the country's First Competent Authority, renowned Civil Servant
  • B.D Rampala - Former General Manager Ceylon Government Railway, first Ceylonese Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Ceylon Government Railway
  • Dr Gunadasa Amarasekara – Dental Surgeon, Writer, Poet
  • Dr Hudson Silva – Eye Surgeon, Former Director of International Eye Bank & Eye Donation Society
  • Dr Justin Samarasekera - Reputed Architect, First President of Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science
  • Rupa Karunathilake - Ambassador for Sri Lanka in The Netherlands
  • Rear Admiral Sarath Ratnakeerthi - Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Navy
  • Commodore Dhammika Samarawickrama - Commander Southern Naval Area of Sri Lanka Navy
  • Asoka Wijethilake - Deputy Inspector General * of Police
  • Chandra Mendis - Former Deputy Inspector General * of Police
  • Mithra Siriwardena - Former Deputy Inspector General * of Police
  • Sumith Liyanage - Former Deputy Inspector General * of Police, General Manager Paints and General Industries Limited, Former Olympian Boxer, Former Vice President of Boxing Association, Former Manager of Sri Lanka Boxing Team
  • Air Commodore D.B Siriwardana - Former Base Commander Sri Lanka Air Force Katunayake
  • Group Captain Gagan Bulathsinhala - Base Commander Sri Lanka Air Force China Bay
  • Major General DVSY Kulathunga RSP USP ndc psc - Commandant Army Command and Staff College
  • Major General Ananda Weerasekara - Vice Chairman Airport & Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd, Former Director of Rehabilitation Services
  • Brigadier General Milinda Peiris - Director Armour/Commander Armoured Brigade, Military Attaché for Sri Lankan Embassy in Washington
  • Saman Ediriweera - Board Member Rupavahini Corporation, Former Secretary Ministry of Tertiary Education and Training, Secretary Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, Former Chief Engineer Sri Lanka Telecom
  • Hemasiri Fernando - Former Secretary to the Prime Minister, Former Chairman of Sri Lanka Telecom Ltd, Former Chairman Airport and Aviation Authority, President of the National Olympic Council
  • Henry Jayasena - Famous Film Actor
  • Cyril Dharmawardene - Famous Actor, Deputy Director Jana Kala Kendraya
  • Victor Ratnayaka – Famous Singer
  • Saman De Silva - Famous Singer
  • Ranil Mallawarachchi - Famous Singer
  • Rohan Shantha Bulegoda - Famous Singer
  • Ajith Galappaththy - Well known film critic
  • Karunaratne Abeysekera - Famous poet and song writer, created history in the world of radio by being the first ever Sinhala cricket commentator over the airwaves of Radio Ceylon
  • Chitrananda Abeysekera - Former Director of Sinhala Service of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
  • Premasara Epasinghe - Media Consultant, Renowned Cricket Commentator
  • Palitha Perera – Former Director of Sinhala Service Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, Renowned Cricket Commentator
  • Srimath Indrajith Liyanage - Well known journalist veteran TV and Radio presenter
  • Kamal Deshapriya - Co-ordinating Secretary of National Movement Against Terrorism (NMAT), Sihala Urumaya Spokesman, Renowned cricket commentator, Actor
  • P.M Jayetillake - Former Principal Thurstan College, Colombo
  • Stanley Jayasinghe - Former all Ceylon cricketer and first Nalandian to play professional cricket overseas for Leicestershire in England for more than a decade
  • Bandula Warnapura - Sri Lanka's First Test Cricket Captain, Director Cricket Operations Sri Lanka Cricket
  • Mahela Jayawardene - Sri Lanka's Test Cricket Captain, Best Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Runnerup (1994)
  • Roshan Mahanama - Former Sri Lanka Test Cricket Captain, Emirates Elite Panel Referee of International Cricket Council, Member of World Cup Winning Cricket Team 1996, Best Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year (1983 & 1984)
  • Asanka Gurusinha - Former Sri Lanka Test/One Day International Cricketer, Member of World Cup Winning Cricket Team 1996, Best Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year (1985) - Domiciled in Australia
  • Kumara Dharmasena - Former Sri Lanka Test/One Day International Cricketer, Member of World Cup Winning Cricket Team 1996, Best Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year (1989)
  • Lalith Kaluperuma - Former Sri Lanaka Test/One Day International Cricketer, Former Chairman of Selectors Sri Lanka Cricket
  • Sanath Kaluperuma - Former Sri Lanka Test/One Day International Cricketer - Domiciled in Australia
  • Yohan Gunasekara - Former Sri Lanka Test/One Day International Cricketer, Best Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year (1976)
  • Gamini Wickremasinghe - Former Sri Lanka Test/One Day International Cricketer
  • Chamara Dunusinghe - Former Sri Lanka Test/One Day International Cricketer
  • Anura Ranasinghe - Former Sri Lanka Test/One Day International Cricketer, Best Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year (1974 & 1975), Passed away in Sri Lanka
  • Roshan Gunaratne - Former Sri Lanka Test Cricketer, Passed away in California USA
  • Shantha Kalavitigoda - Former Sri Lanka Test Cricketer
  • Sunil Jayasinghe - Former One Day International Cricketer
  • Keerthi Ranasinghe - Former One Day International Cricketer - Domiciled in UK
  • Sriyantha Dissanayake - Reputed athlete, former Sri Lanka 100m record holder 1990, Duncan White award winner for Athletics, Asian Games silver medalist
  • P. Amarasinghe - Former Chairman of People's Bank, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, former Chairman of the Institute of Bankers, Former Chairman of Credit Information Bureau
  • Eastman Narangoda - Chief Executive Officer / General Manager of National Savings Bank, President - Association of Professional Bankers - Sri Lanka
  • Chandra Embuldeniya - Chief Executive Officer Informatics Group of Companies
  • Miral Kadawathaarachchi - Chairman Freight Lanka
  • A.S.P Liyanage - Chairman ASP Group of Companies
  • Nandadeva Perera - Managing Director Vogue Jewellers Limited Colombo, represented Hong Kong National Cricket Team, only Sri Lankan to take part in two Mini World Cup Tournaments in 1986 in Birmingham, UK and in 1990, in Hague in Holland, Captained the Indian University of Madras Cricket Team
  • Jagath Ramanayake - Chairman Rama DBK Ltd Japan, Managing Director Ramanayake Automobiles Sri Lanka
  • Thilanga Sumathipala – Former Asian Cricket Council President, Former Chairman Sri Lanka Telecom, Ex President of BCCSL, Managing Director Sumathi Group of Companies
  • Rukshan Widyalankara - Former President of the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects
  • Chandana Weerasinghe – Former President Computer Society of Sri Lanka, Engineering Manager DMS Electronics
  • Dr Vinya Ariyaratne - Executive Director Sarvodaya
  • Punya Weerasinghe - General Manager Splendid Hotels Group United Kingdom
  • Chintaka Deraniyagala - CEO Tradlanka International USA, Managing Director Roxbury Capital Management USA, Vice Chairman Sri Lanka America Business Council, Founder of Arts Foundation of Los Angeles
  • Para Amarasinghe - Secretary Sri Lanka America Business Council, Consultant for US and Sri Lankan Trade & Investment
  • Dayantha Jayarathna - National Sales & Marketing Manager, Thomson Telecom Australia
  • Dr Nishantha Kamaladasa - CEO Distance Learning Center Ltd Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration Senior Consultant and former Diector of Centre for Housing Planning and Building [CHPB

External links

Related links

Educational institutions established in the 1925s | Public Schools in Sri Lanka | Schools in Sri Lanka | Schools with a Cadet Corps

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Nalanda College".

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