Funday Times - Gaveshaka continues his search for significant events

Ananda College moved to its present location at Maradana on August 17, 1895 after a philanthropist, Gate Mudaliyar Tudor Rajapakse gifted three and a half acres at Paranavadiya. The school, first known as Buddhist English School, had been established at Maliban Street, Pettah on November 1, 1886 on the initiative of Colonel H. S. Olcott.

A report in the 'Buddhist' described the event thus under the heading "Opening of new Buddhist College at Maradana": Ananda College, the new Buddhist Institute, was formally opened by Mr. Tudor Rajapaksa, Gate Mudaliyar. After the opening ceremony a benediction was pronounced by Buddhist priests of whom 10 were present, including the Rt. Rev. H (Hikkaduwe) Sumangala, head abbot at Dodanduwa, Piyaratana Maha Nayaka Thero, Chief High Priest of the Amarapura Sect. The large hall was decorated with flags and filled to its utmost capacity. The report of the building committee was read after which a sum of Rs. 905 was laid on the table collected by the merchants of Pettah. Addresses were delivered by the High Priest Piyaratana, Dr. W. A. de Silva and the Chairman. Mr. Rajapaksa was presented with a silver trowel with which he laid the foundation stone of the buildings some months ago. Light refreshments were then abundantly served round. The meeting dispersed shortly after 6. The College has got its name from Ananda, Our Lord's favourite and the most learned disciple. The building is intended to be enlarged soon for which plans were laid on the table, and a Vihara is to be erected in the grounds for the benefit of the students".

After A. E. Buultjens took over as Principal from the first Principal, C. W. Leadbeater in 1890, the school had made rapid progress and in 1894 the numbers on the list reached 200, the average attendance being 174. By the time the school shifted to Maradana, the number of roll had reached 300.

The passing-away of the scholar monk, Venerable Ratmalane Sri Dharmaloka Thera, founder of Vidyalankara Pirivena, Peliyagoda occurred on August 15, 1885. It was two years after the establishment of the Vidyodaya Pirivena at Maligakanda that the Vidyalankara Pirivena was founded on November 1, 1875.

Born on May 28, 1828 at Ratmalana, Dharmaloka Thera entered the Order in 1837 when he was just nine years. He received higher ordination (Upasampada) from the Malwatta Chapter in 1860 by which time he was accepted as a learned monk. He taught the Dhamma to the monks and lay students at his resident temple at Ratmalana and wrote and edited several classics. It was when he, along with a student monk, came on invitation to Dalugama to observe the 'vas' season in 1875, that he took the initiative in setting up the Vidyalankara Dayaka Sabha. Thereafter the Pirivena was established.

Leading a simple life according to the teachings of the Buddha was his motto which he promoted among the inmates of the Pirivena. By training his chief disciple, Ratmalane Sri Dharmarama Thera, to be well versed in the Dhamma, by the time he passed away, he had established a solid tradition to continue the good work he started.

In the early days of the British administration, many talented painters recorded events and the country's beautiful scenery. Samuel Daniell was one of these pioneer artists. He arrived in Ceylon on August 14, 1805 and was appointed Assistant to the Secretary to the Board of Revenue and Commerce by Governor Sir Thomas Maitland who later created a special post for him titled 'Ranger of Woods & Forests.' He was just 36 when he died while serving as Superintendents of the Forests in Ceylon.

Twelve of Daniell's paintings have been published in a book titled 'A Picturesque Illustration of the Scenery, Animals and Native Inhabitants of the Island of Ceylon,' published in London in 1808. An interesting text accompanies each picture.