Visakha Vidyalaya
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Visakha Vidyalaya
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Location | |
Vajira Road | |
Coordinates | 6°53′31″N 79°51′32″E / 6.89194°N 79.85889°ECoordinates: 6°53′31″N 79°51′32″E / 6.89194°N 79.85889°E |
Information | |
Type | National |
Motto | Pali: පඤ්ඤාය පරිසුජ්ඣති Paññāya Parisujjhati (By wisdom one is cleansed) |
Established | 16 January 1917 |
Founder | Celestina Dias |
Principal | Mrs. Sandamali Aviruppola |
Staff | 300+ |
Grades | Grade 1 - 13 |
Gender | Girls |
Age | 6 to 19 |
Enrollment | 6000+ |
Color(s) | Gold and Blue |
Affiliation | Buddhist |
Alumni | Visakhians |
Website | Visakha Vidyalaya |
Visakha Vidyalaya (Sinhala: විශාඛා විද්යාලය) is a girls' school in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is a National School founded by the central government providing primary and secondary education.
History[]
The school was established in 1917 by Celestina Dias as the Buddhist Girls College in a house called 'The Firs' in Turret Road, Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was the desire of Dias to train the school girls according to the Buddhist moral values and principles. In 1927 it moved to its present premises in Vajira Road, Colombo and was named Visakha Vidyalaya by Lady Herbert Stanley the wife of the Governor of Ceylon at that time. In 1939 the school was affiliated to Lady Irwin College, New Delhi to conduct courses in Home economics.[1] Science subjects were introduced to the curriculum in 1946, for the first time in a girls' school in Sri Lanka.
School motto[]
The school's motto is from the Alavaka Sutta in the Sutta Pitaka of the Tripitaka. When the yakkha Alavaka first confronted Buddha, he threatened to exterminate Buddha unless he, Buddha were to answer all his questions. One of the questions asked was "Kathansu Parisujjhati" (how is one cleansed) to which Buddha replied, "Paññaya Parisujjhati" (by wisdom is one cleansed)
Houses[]
There are 6 houses at Visakha:
- Dawes -
- Dias -
- Jayatilake -
- Motwani -
- Pulimood -
- Weerasooriya -
All of the names of the houses are made from the names of past principals.
Past principals[]
Name | Entered office | Departed office |
---|---|---|
Bernice T. Banning | ||
J. Ganguli | ||
H. Westbrook | ||
D. C. Devereaux | ||
E. L. Fletcher | ||
G. H. Pearse (Acting) | ||
S. E. Lowe | ||
G. H. Pearse | ||
MacDonald (Act.) | ||
C. L. Motwani | ||
S. G. Pulimood | ||
H. S. Jayasinghe | ||
S. E. Siriwardhana | ||
M. N. Edussuriya | ||
R. M. L. Jayasekara | ||
M. D. I. N. Siriwardhana | ||
R. N. Amarasinghe | ||
C. R. Gunarathne | ||
B. M. Weerasooriya | ||
Sandamali Aviruppola |
Notable alumni[]
- Yohani De Silva, singer, songwriter
- Deepali Wijesundera, Judge of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka
- Kusala Abhayavardhana, social worker and member of parliament
- Kshanika Hirimburegama, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Colombo[citation needed]
- Jayathri Samarakone, Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Singapore
- Sumitra Peries, filmmaker and Sri Lanka's Ambassador to France[citation needed]
- Inoka Sathyangani, film director and producer[citation needed]
- Sabeetha Perera, film actress
- Ruchira Silva, fashion designer
- Hirunika Premachandra, politician[citation needed]
- Anusha Damayanthi, film actress[citation needed]
- Sachini Nipunsala, TV presenter, dancer [2]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Clara Motwani". ancestry.com.
- ^ "Stuck in an old car - Sachini Nipunsala". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
External links[]
- Educational institutions established in 1917
- National schools in Sri Lanka
- Buddhist schools in Sri Lanka
- Girls' schools in Sri Lanka
- Schools in Colombo
- 1917 establishments in Ceylon