Fiftieth death anniversary Ven. Pandit Ahangama Nayake Thera

Colombo East group correspondent

A series of special religious ceremonies and events were conducted at Vijayarama Vihara, Wellawatte to mark the 50th death anniversary of Ven. Pandit Ahangama Pagngnaloka Nayake Thera, the eminent scholar monk and founder Viharadhipathi of the temple and its educational institution.

Ven. Ahangama Ananda, Viharadhipathi of the Vijayarama directed the program which commenced with all night Pirith chanting on Saturday night followed by an alms giving to 50 monks. Later Ven. Ananda donated a wheel chair, crutches, a bookcase and file covers to ward 74 of Colombo National Hospital.

He also donated 60 water filters to temples damaged by the recent tsunami in the Southern Province and a wheel chair to a disabled child of Weligama. Ven. Ananda served meals to the inmates of Victoria Home in Rajagiriya and Deaf and Blind School, Ratmalana at Vijayarama temple on Friday. Two wheel chairs were donated to two blind children. A TV set was donated to the Lady Ridgeway Hospital.

Ven. Weligama Gnanaratana Mahanayake Thera of the Dharmarakshita Chapter of the Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya made the commemoration oration in which he said that Ven. Pandit Ahangama Pagngnaloka was not only an eminent scholar of Sinhala, Pali, Sanskrit and Buddhism, but also a great teacher and preacher of the Buddha's doctrine. He had comprehended the doctrine so well and had a deep desire to teach it to others with a sense of commitment. There were Christians, Hindus and Muslims who came to hear his sermons and learn Sinhala from him. In his day he was acclaimed by many scholars as a sound exponent of the doctrine.

On the day the Japanese fighter planes were dropping bombs in and around the city of Colombo, during the Second World War, Ven. Pagngnaloka was preaching the doctrine of compassion of the Buddha over the then Radio Ceylon. Such was his devotion to the doctrine and the desire to preach it to the people. At that time there were two eminent preachers of the doctrine over Radio Ceylon. One was Ven. Pagngnaloka, the founder of Vijayarama, Wellawatte and the other the Ven. Pelene Vajiragnana Mahanayake Thera, the founder of Vajiraramaya in Bambalapitiya.

Ven. Pandit Ahangama Pagngnaloka was a leading lecturer at the Devundara Girihela Vihara Pirivena famous in history from the time of King Dapulusen. The pirivena assumed different names at different times of its long history, such as Nandana Pirivena, Tilaka Pirivena etc. It was later known as the Dharmarakshita Pirivena, when Ven. Pagngnaloka was a lecturer.