Sri Dharmaloka College

Infobox School
name = Sri Dharmaloka College



motto =

established = 1938
type = Public
affiliation = Buddhist
principal = Mr. A. G. Nimal Jayaweera
city = Kelaniya
country = Sri Lanka flagicon|Sri Lanka
coord|6|57|41.43|N|79|54|04.88|E|

colors = Maroon and Gold
website = http://www.sridharmaloka.lk/

= Sri Dharmaloka College "Kelaniya, Sri Lanka" =

Introduction

Sri Dharmaloka College is one of the well-established national schools in Western province of Sri Lanka situated near the Kelaniya Temple. The school opened in the 1940s on the Vidayalankara Perewena premises. In the 1950s, the college moved to its current location on the Kelaniya premises. Sri Dharmaloka College has been serving to educational needs of the society in responsible manner for the last fifty years.

Motto

Our motto is "ALOKO UDHA PADHEE" which means the light has come. This is a reputed lyric mentioned by the greatest Philosopher Lord Buddha. He said this after obtaining enlightenment. In this reputed verse. The other two lyrics which means the wise has attained.

Crest

Our crest is a circle which contains a symbol of an oil lamp, our motto, and lotus pestles. The lotus pestles symbolize glory and success. The oil lamp symbolizes light, the wise and also the glory. The motto is in the middle circle of the crest. It means the light has come, the enlightenment has come.

Flag

Our flag has been designed for many years since the school has begun. It has three columns and the color of the middle one is yellow and the side ones are maroon. In the middle column there is the crest of the school. It symbols our glory and our loyalty to our mother Dharmaloka. The sight of our flag brings us a great us a great proud and heartiness in our minds. In this case it enhances the love to mother Dharmaloka.

History

Sri Dharmaloka is the Buddhist English school established in Peliyagoda in 1938 under the patronage of Vidyalankara Piriwena. It was named for the late Sri Dharmaloka Thero, founder of the pirivena.

Sri Dharmaloka Vidyalaya was opened in 1938 in a small building on land adjoining Vidyalankara Pirivena and Mr. B.A. Kuruppu became the first head master. Sir D.B. Jayathilaka inaugurated the educational activities of the school, by taking the first lessons of the first students. In 1940, Dharmaloka ushered in an era of rapid development. D.B. Dhanapala was the principal of the school. 'At the beginning, this school possessed neither a playground or sufficient space to set up even a volley ball court. The school building was surrounded by marsh. He used the road leading to Pirivena as the sports ground. The school gained its popularity and the following year, parents of Kelaniya rushed to get their children admitted. The school building did not permit him to admit all the children who sought admission. He organized a fund raising carnival which enabled him to put up a two storied building which could accommodate more children.

The greatness of Dhanapala lay not only in his ability to teach and guide the students in educational matters but also in his great qualities as a great disciplinarian through which he imparted high moral ideals both to his students and teaching staff. During his period we can still remember that there were teachers of outstanding abilities like C.M.Weerarathana, A.P.Jinadasa,H.L.Rathnapala U.G.P. de Mel and Brakenridge whose impressive ways of teaching still in the years of the then Students of dharmaloka who are now doctors, engineers, lawyers and more.

In 1946, Dhanapala left the school due to difference of opinion with the Board of governors and along with him almost all the staff too resigned. The school was handed over to the government and the venue shifted to the present site. Mr H.M. Gunasekara took over the reins of the school as the principal.

School Anthem

List of School Principals from start

External Links

* [http://www.sridharmaloka.lk Oficial Website]
* [http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=18339812060&ref=ts Past Pupils Facebook Group]