‘Vidyalaya Nalanda’ book launch this week
The launch of the book Vidyalaya Nalanda, which examines the 100- year history of ‘Nalanda Vidyalaya’ in Colombo, is scheduled to take place under the chairmanship of Eastern Province Governor Prof Jayantalal Ratnasekara on November 1, at 2.30 pm at the college’s Malalasekara Memorial Hall. The keynote address will be delivered by neurosurgeon Prasanna Gunasena. Distinguished alumni of Nalanda Vidyalaya are expected to attend this event. The book has been authored by writer and critic Ajith Galappaththi and published by the Old Nalandian 89’ group.
Mr Galappaththi possesses a Bachelor of Art degree from the University of Kelaniya and a Diploma in Mass Communication from the University of Colombo, and currently is working on his postgraduate research in Cinema. The author, who has previously published several 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 D S Kularathne 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 Mr 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, Mr Kularatne founded this modern institution, naming it vidyalaya in both Sinhala and English, and modeled this vidyalaya 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This book encompasses historical documents pertaining to the inception of Nalanda Vidyalaya as a pioneering institution of Buddhist education in Sri Lanka, along with rare photographs that have yet to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.
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