Research book ‘Vidyalaya Nalanda’ to be launched on November 1, 2024, under Governor of EP

The launch ceremony for the research book ‘Vidyalaya Nalanda’, which examines the one hundred years history of Nalanda Vidyalaya in Colombo, is scheduled to take place under the chairmanship of Eastern Governor Prof. Jayantalal Ratnasekara on November 1, 2024, at 2:30 p.m. in the Malalasekara Memorial Hall at Nalanda Vidyalaya. The keynote address will be presented by Prasanna Gunasena, a neurosurgeon. Distinguished alumni of Nalanda Vidyalaya are expected to attend this event.

This research book has been authored by writer and critic Ajith Galappaththi and published by the Old Nalandian 89’ group. He possesses a Bachelor of Art degree from the University of Kelaniya and a Diploma in Mass Communication from the University of Colombo, and currently he is working on his post graduate research in Cinema. This author, who has previously published several research books and articles, has served on various juries and institutions associated with art and media.

This book encompasses historical aspects that have yet to be explored regarding Nalanda Vidyalaya, which was initiated by S. Kularathne in who served as the principal of Ananda College in the early 1920s and subsequently transferred to Olcott’s Buddhist Theosophical Society. The circumstances that prompted S. Kularatne to select a group of the most gifted students from Ananda to establish the Ananda Branch College, and the decision to choose a location distant from Paranawaadiya in Maradana, where Ananda is situated are also examined in the book.

In response to the collegiate culture prevalent during British rule, Kularatne founded this modern institution, naming it ‘Vidyala’ in both Sinhala and English, and modelled this ‘Vidyala’ after Nalanda University in India. This book encompasses historical documents pertaining to the inception of Nalanda Vidyalaya as a pioneering institution of Buddhist education in Sri Lanka. Along with rare photographs that have yet to be published. It features insights into the principals, including the inaugural principal Dr. Gunapala Malalasekara, as well as L. H. Metthananda and W. E. Fernando.

Additionally, it addresses the buildings constructed on the same site prior to the college’s registration under the name ‘Nalanda,’ and acknowledges the contributions and the involvement of Buddhist leaders such as Dharmapala and Arthur V. Dias. The narrative explores the circumstances surrounding the registration of Nalanda College, which took place on a Sunday holiday, November 1, 1925. It raises questions about Ananda Nalanda’s first significant cricket match in 1924, prior to the establishment of the school, and investigates the connection between Olcott, who passed away in 1907, and Nalanda College.

Furthermore, this study will delve into the pioneering contributions of P. S. Kularatne, the founder of Nalanda, and the era in which he operated.

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