Mahinda College
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Coordinates: 6°02′59″N 80°12′54″E / 6.04972°N 80.215°E
| Mahinda College | |
Khippam vayama Pandito Bhawa |
|
| Location | |
|---|---|
Galle, Sri Lanka  |
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| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1892 |
| Founder | Colonel Henry Steel Olcott |
| Principal | R.M. Werahara |
| Grades | 1 to G.C.E. (A/L) |
| Gender | Boys |
| Age | 6 to 19 |
| Color(s) | Black and Gold |
| Affiliation | Buddhist |
| Website | http://www.mahindacollege.lk |
Mahinda College, Galle was established in March 1, 1892, by the Buddhist Theosophical Society led by Colonel Henry Steel Olcott. Mahinda College is a National Boys School. It provides primary and secondary education.
[edit] Location
Woodward Mawatha,Galle,Sri Lanka
[edit] History
Colonel Henry Steel Olcott a retired U. S. Army officer was in search of truth. He studied various philosophies and listened to the sermons of various religious dignitaries. But this inquiring mind did not find an answer. In his search he came across a comprehensive report of the ‘Panadura Wadaya’. It was a report of a religious debate between Buddhist monks and Christian clergy. Olcott appreciated the contentions of the Buddhist monks and started corresponding with the outstanding Buddhist monks of Ceylon. This correspondence eventually led to his coming to Ceylon.
Col. Olcott landed in Galle on 17.05.1880 in the company of Madam I. P. Blavatsky, a rich Russian princess. They became Buddhists at the Wijeyananda temple in Galle. Olcott and Blavatsky were grieved at the treatment the Buddhists, their institutions and the religion received at the hands of the colonial rulers and the Christian hierarchy. They identified that the greatest danger came from the proselitization of the Buddhist children through education. To combat this they founded the Buddhist Theosophical Society and set about opening up Buddhist English schools, for Buddhist children. He collected money and opened up the B.T.S. English school at Pettigalawatta on 15-09-1880. This school had a short existence and later with the arrival of Dr. Bowles Daly (LLD) a Christian clergyman, Mahinda College was opened on 01-03-1892 at Pedlar St. in Galle fort. Dr. Daly was a good disciplinarian and a tireless worker. He left after a very short period of one year.
The ensuing period of nearly a decade saw the school simply drifting with a number of principals serving for short periods. However with the arrival of Mr. Frank Lee Woodward as principal on 01-08-1903 things took a turn for the better. With the assistance of Mudaliyar Gunaratne, Muhandiram Thomas Amarasuriya, Muhandiram Wickremasinghe and the benevolent Buddhist public, Mr. Woodward shifted the College to its present site and made it one of the leading colleges in the south.
Mr. Woodward who has not only built buildings for Mahinda College gave it a soul – the Woodward tradition This was done through precept and practice. He decided to leave the college in 1919. He spent his retirement in Roweila in Tasmania translating Buddhist scriptures from Pali to English
Unlike in the 1890’s Mr. Woodward was succeeded by capable men like Dr. Kalidas Nag, Mr. F.G. Pearce, Mr.W. A. Troupe and Mr. P.R. Gunasekara. Of course they served only for very short periods. They were succeeded by that eminent old boy of the college Mr. Edgar Albert Wijesooriya in 1932. This can be termed the golden age of Mahinda. He retired in 1962 with the taking over of assisted schools by the government. Thereafter Mahinda became a government Sinhala medium school.
Mr. Jayasena H. Gunasekara succeeded Mr. Wijesooriya. During his tenure of office many buildings came up and the school population was almost doubled. After the departureof Mr. Gunasekara Mr. C.K.Waidyarathne acted till the arrival of Mr. B. K. Silva. After him Mr.W. A. D. S. Gunathilake served Mahinda for five years. His elevation to a higher post in the Department led to the appointment of Mr. C.K. Waidyarathne as a permanent Principal. He was succeeded by another old boy Mr. D. D. Jayasundara in 1987. With his departure in 1991 another old boy Mr. M. Wickramasinghe was appointed principal in 1992. The centenary celebrations were held that year on a very grand scale. He went back to the department in 1994 and was succeeded by yet another old boy Mr. D.C.Nissanka de Silva who too joined the department in 1996. Mr. Silva was succeeded by Mr. D. K. Athukorala as the Acting Principal. After him Mr. K.A.Susil Premanath and Mr. L.C.Karunasena served as the Acting Principals. Currently, Mr R.M. Werahara who is an Old boy of Mahinda is the Principal from 3rd December 2008.
[edit] Henry Steel Olcott
We consider Sir .Henry Steel Olcott as the creator of Mahinda College. It was one of his step to build up Buddhist education in Sri Lanka.
Sir, Olcott was born on 2nd of August 1832 in New York. He made an effort to find out the truth . He was a pioneer of the Paramawinnyanarrtha society startedin1875. Col., Olcott read the news of the debate, Panadurawadaya between the Bhuddhist clerlgy and the Buddhist monks he liked come against the Christianity. after that , he liked come Sri Lanka to find out the truth.
Sir, Olcott come to Sri Lanka on 17th of May in 1880 after the eight days Col. Stele Olcott got the blessings of the triple Gem ,in the Vijayananda Viharya in Galle. Sir Olcott become a Buddhist after that . He laid the foundation stone to the Paramawinnyanarrtha Buddhist Society and he worked for the revival of Buddhism .
There were only two Buddhist schools when he come to Sri Lanka .the first Buddhist school was built in1881 by this Vinnyanarrtha Buddhist Society .It was a very important year. In 1884 ,with the advice of "Sri Sumangagala thero" he could do lot of things for the welfare of the Buddhists. He made the Vesak full moon poya a holiday. Also he made possible in to travel processions in roads and could register the Buddhist marriages. As a result of that, the first Vesak holiday was remarked in 1885, not only that , he published the magazines "sarasawi sadarasa " and "The Buddhist". He died on 11th of Feb. 1907
[edit] Principals
1892-1893 : Dr. Bowels Daly
1894 : Lovegrove
1895-1896 : O.A. Jayasekara (Acting)
1897-1898 : M. Balasubramaniya Mudlier
1898 : Gordon Douglas
1899 : O.A. Jayasekara (Acting)
1900 : M.J. Fernando
1901 : O.A Jayasekara
1902 : Mc Dougal
1903-1919 : F.L. Woodward
1919-1920 : Kalidas Nag
1920 : S de S Jayarathna (Acting)
1921-1923 : F.G. Pearce
1923-1926 : W.A. Troup
1926-1932 : P.A.Gunasekara
1932-1962 : E.A.Wijesuriya
1962-1974 : J.H. Gunasekara
1974-1975 : C.K Waidyarathnae (Acting)
1975-1978 : B.K Silva
1978-1983 : W.A.D.S. Gunatilake
1983-1987 : C.K Waidyarathnae
1987-1991 : D.D. Jayasundara
1992-1994 : M.Wickramasinha
1994-1996 : D.C.N. de Silva
1996-2004 : D.K. Athukorola
2004-2007 : K.A.Susil Premanath
2007-2008 : L.C.Karunasena
2008- : R.M.Werahera
[edit] Sport Houses
There are 4 houses at Mahinda College. They are,
- Pandukabaya
- Thissa
- Gamunu
- Parakarama
[edit] Sport Clubs
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[edit] Lovers Quarrel
Lovers Quarrel is the annual cricket contest between Richmond College and Mahinda College.contest started in 1905. Lovers Quarrel was last won by Mahinda College in 2008 encounter.
[edit] Black & Gold Harmony
Annual concert organized by the Mahinda college Western Cadet Band.concert started in 1968.
[edit] Frank Lee Woodward Challenge Trophy Debating Tournament
Annual debating tournament organized by the Mahinda college Debating Unit.
[edit] Henry Steele Olcott Memorial Cricket Tournament
Annual cricket contest between Ananda College,Nalanda College,Dharmaraja College, Dharmasoka College, Dharmapala Vidyalaya, Maliyadeva College and Rahula College.contest started in 1999.
[edit] Sahasa Magazine
Annual publication of mahinda college media circle.
[edit] Frank Lee Woodward
F.L.Woodward (1871-1952) born in Saham Toney in Norfolk, England as the son of a vicar of the Anglican religion, had an archetypal Victorian boyhood, attended a traditional English public school won scholarship to Cambridge, and later turned to teaching it secured him a deputy headmastership. He joined the London Theosophical Society and was a great friend of Olcott. So Col.Olcott offered him the principal ship of Mahinda College which he nursed for 16 years after that he left for Tasmania to devote the subsequent 33 years of his life to the task of editing and translating Buddhist texts to be published by the Pali Text Society, London. He died in 1956.
From the day Mr. Woodward became the principal, the school had slowly but steadily progressed. By December 1903 with in 4 months after Mr. Woodward’s assumption of office as principal, the average attendance of the school had risen to 142 from 89. In the same month students had been sent for the Cambridge examination and in July 1904 a student of Mahinda, G.W.Perera had won the university scholarship. By 1905 there had been 246 boys on the roll. It was during that period that Col.Olcott visited the college twice in 1904 and 1906. 1907 had been a dark year for Mahinda. Both Col.olcott & Muhandiram Thomas Amarasooriya had died. On 25 June 1907 Mr. Henry Amarasuriya, the son of the later had been elected as the manager of the school. Mr.: A.D.Jayasinghe jointed to the staff in 1917. He was appointed headmaster and retired in 1938 after a great service. He died in 1968.
In this time Mr. F.L.Woodward had been active with a plan to move the college to place with surroundings more conductive to its healthy growth. Mrs. D.F.de Silva of Minuwangoda donated a land called “DEVATAGAH WATTA” far from the madding crowd in a salubrious and elevated plot of land. It was a magical charming hillock with enlivening beauty of the central Highlands painted on its eastern sky had attracted the attention Mr. F.L.Woodward who had high sense of aesthetic beauty. The panoramic view of the siripada (Adam’s peak) also said that it is the most suitable place to a Buddhist school.
On 15 January in 1908 at 2.14 pm Mr. Woodward had laid the foundation stone of Olcott hall. In July & October of the same year the foundation stones for the Amrasuriya block & Matara block had been laid by Mr.: H.Amarasuriya, E.S.Balasuriya and D.N.Weeratunga respectively. In the first of August 1912 the new building had been ceremonially opened. With the shifting of the school to its present abode the number of students had risen to 300. Woodward’s work included taking classes in English, Latin, Pali, Buddhism and art, in addition of the administrative duties associated with the position of principal of the school. His involvement went much further. He was the designer / architect of its buildings, personally supervised their construction, and often works alongside the masons. The first price giving commemorating the 21st anniversary of the inauguration of the school & ninth anniversary of Woodward’s arrival also celebrated in 1912.
[edit] A remarkable victory in ICT section of Mahinda College
Pathum Madhushan Liyanagama crowned as the Sri Lanka Genius, the most talented ICT student of Sri Lanka in 2008. This contest was organised by Colombo University and Dialog G.S.M. He achieved a cash prize of one million rupees and seven computers to the school.
Mahinda College is also the ever first school in Sri Lanka that publish a web casting on their Big match to the all over the world. To watch the Big match from your computer please login to [1]mcg web site in the big match season.
[edit] Notable alumni
Prof. H Abeygunawardena (Vice Chancellor, University of Peradeniya,Sri Lanka)
Prof. Upali Samarajeewa( Senior Professor,University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka)
Dr. Lakshman Watawana (Senior lecturer, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka)
Prof. P.L. Ariyananda (Former Dean,Faculty of Medicine,University of Ruhuna,Sri Lanka )
Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne (co-founder of Sarvodaya)
Siri_Gunasinghe (premier Sinhalese poet, novelist)
Professor O.A. Illeperuma ( Professor,University of Peradeniya)
Edwin Ariyadasa (Famous Journalist)
Professor Deshamanya Nandadasa Kodagoda (former Vice Chancellor of University of Colombo and Dean of Medical Faculty University of Colombo)
Professor J.K.P. Ariyarathne
Professor Vinee Vitharana
Most Venerable Madihe Pannasiha Mahanayaka Thera
Doctor S.A. Wickramasinghe, Father of Sri Lankan Communist Movement
Major General Lakshman 'Lucky' Wijayaratne RWP, RSP † - Former Commander of 22 Brigade in Trincomalee
Dr. Sena Yaddehige (Chairman of Richard Pieris and Asian Allience )
Mrs. R. N. Amarasinghe (Former Principal,Visakha College,Colombo )
D.L.S.De Silva (Former Sri Lankan Cricketer)
Athula Samarasekera (Former Test Cricketer)
Jayananda Warnaweera (Former Test Cricketer)
Upul Chandana (Former Test Cricketer)
Marvan Atapattu (Former Test Cricketer & Captain)
Sundara Nihathamani De Mel(Main Editor,Lakmiba News paper)
Dhamma Jagoda
Sanath Rohana Wickramasinghe (Stamp Designer,Sri Lanka Post)
Dr. Tharaka Kusaladarama (Eye Specialist,Teaching Hospital,Karapitiya)
Jayantha Karunaratne (Managing Director,Imperial Tea Exporters (Pvt) Limited)
SDIG Bodhi Liyanage (first Commandant of the Special Task Force)
Rear Admiral Ivan Kariyawasam,USP (Former Director General- Naval Engineering- Sri Lanka Navy)
Lasith Malinga (Sri Lankan Cricketer- World Record Holder for 4 wickes in 4 balls in an ODI)
Dr. Bandula Wijay (Wijayarathna) (Inventor of Angioplasty Balloon Catheters & Cadiac Stents)
Palitha Kumarasinghe (President's Counsel- Member/Public Service Commission)
Dr. Nihal Somaratne (University Lecturer - obained 100 each in Double maths & Physics in 1974 GCE/AL)
Dr. M M A J Kumara (Head-Surgery Dept. Medical Faculty-Ruhuna- Consultant Surgeon)
Dr. Vasantha Devasiri (University Lecturer-Consultant Paediatrician)
Mr.R.D.A.Gunasekara (University Lecturer)
Dr. Lilak Obaysekara (Director General- Dept of Technical Education.
Mr. I. W. Senanayake (Chairman-Sampath Bank/IWS Holdings)
Mr. Ivan de Silva (Director General-Mahaweli Authority)
Mr. S. Illeperuma (Deputy Principal, Advanced Level - Royal College, Colombo)
Dr. M. H. Jayantha Ariyaratne (Senior Lecturer & Head of the Department of Surgery, Senior Student Councellor, Medical faculty Representer in Art Circle of University of Kelaniya)
Douglas Dias-Jayasinha,(11 May 1915- 29 Apr 2006)
D. D.Jayasinghe was a fine left hand batsmen and a superb right arm bowler and a brilliant slip fielder, who represented Mahinda College from 1931 to 1936. He captained his "Alma Mater" from 1934 to 1936. In his school career, he scored six centuries and a dozen of fifties and also captured nearly eighty (80) wickets. 1937 was a great year for Mahinda. New Zealand was in Ceylon to play a match against a strong Ceylonese side led by S. Saravanamuttu. Mahinda's contribution was Douglas Jayasinghe who had by then carved a niche, being a mighty centurion against the BRC, Colts, and the SSC playing for the home team - the Galle CC. The NZ team at the time had greats like Richard Hadlee's father Walter Hadlee and M. L. Page.
Just a couple of years before that, in 1935, when still a schoolboy at Mahinda College, Jayasinha opened batting for Ceylon with the legendary M. K. Albert against the ‘Indian Occasionals’. The visiting team included the likes of Vijay Merchant, Mushtaq Ali, Wazir Ali, Banerjee et al.
Unassuming, charming, pencil slim Douglas Jayasinha, he was the first from south, to represent all-ceylon in cricket. E. M. Karunaratne was also a great cricketer from Galle. He is the man who helped Jayasinha in a big way, to improve his standard of cricket.
D.D.Jayasinha, played for Galle CC, SSC, Moratuwa SC, and represented and captained the Education Department with distinction. Even at the ripe age of 51 years, Douglas captained the Moratuwa Sports Club.
He was a selector for the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka from 1961-1973. For ten years, 1963 to 1973, he was the chairman of the selection committee. I presume, this may be a unique record in the history of cricket, in Sri Lanka. It proves that he was a man of highest integrity and honesty and was always a highly respected cricketer cum cricket administrator. He is undoubtedly, an ornament to Sri Lanka cricket and cricket administration
I need to add to his achievements - Duggy J was also a capable and competent Cricketer cum responsible Public Service Administrator. As an official he performed an invaluable service in evaluating and helping the education service to systematise the administrative work of the regional offices of education to organise the efficient functioning of the new administrative schemes on decentralisation and devolution of authority and responsibility in the regions. The department profited by his invaluable service.
In the cricketing scenario - Douglas J was a very regular member of the education first team and was responsible in a great way to win honours for the department at the annual tournaments among state departments. He played regularly even close on years of retirement as he was indispensable mainly as the opening bowler swinging the balls both ways and able to exploit the weak points of the batsmen and play them out. I was also a junior official in the education inspectorate serving in the outstation and also a member of the team in the later years with Douglas J. The Director of Education then, S. F. De Silva, a cricketing enthusiast and the whole department recognised him as the most renowned player in the Education Service. He was indispensable to our team and was also the most interested player and also the most pleasant person among our sportsmen.
I feel that his casual services as a versatile cricketer of varied experience should be made use of by the BCCSL & Ministry of Sports to guide our test players and more the juniors at the game. He was a player of great discipline and has to be admired as a worthy example to the potential cricketers.
[edit] External links
- Mahinda College Official Web Site
- Mahinda Club Web Site
- Mahindians web Site
- Major General Lakshman 'Lucky' Wijayaratne
- Malinga's world record inspires alma mater
- Mahinda OBA-98 Web Site
