Cradle of patriotism
Ananda continues to be a beacon in the field of education. Anandians
serve their country - and indeed the world - in a variety of
capacities.:
The colonial period saw a dearth of educational opportunities for
Sinhala Buddhist students in Sri Lanka. An acute need was felt for
educational institutions that could fill this vacuum. It was in this
backdrop that Ananda College was born in November 1886.
Founded as the Buddhist English school at No. 61, Maliban Street,
Pettah, by Col. Henry Steele Olcott with just 31 students, Ananda
College has become one of the largest educational institutions in South
Asia. The first principal was C.W. Leadbeater and the Manager was none
other than Anagarika Dharmapala.
Academic Excellence
In 1890 A. E. Bultjens assumed duties as principal. In 1894, Mudliyar
Tudor Rajapaksa donated three and a half acres of valuable land at
Paranawadiya in Maradana to the Ananda College. This is the school's
present location.
Sir D. B. Jayatilake assumed duties as the first Sinhalese principal
of Ananda College on the 15th December 1898. Ananda had already set
benchmarks for academic excellence and the school was becoming famous
for its achievements in the sporting arena as well.
P. de S. Kularatne became the Principal on January 1, 1918, beginning
a golden era at Ananda. (Incidentally, the Daily News saw the light of
day just two days later, giving voice to the nationalist and patriotic
sentiments of the day).
Herman Loos shield
It was during his tenure that Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore
visited Ananda as chief guest at the annual prize giving. He declared on
that occasion: "I acknowledge that the life of Ananda is its humility
and unassuming nature." Kularatne's successor, in 1923, was the equally
illustrious Professor and Ambassador G.P. Malalasekera, another giant in
the field of education. Another Great Indian - Mahatma Gandhi - visited
the school during his tenure, in 1927.
The very next year, Ananda won the coveted Herman Loos cup for the
best cadet platoon and the Stubs challenge shield for boxing. In 1929
Ananda won the CVRA shield for rifle shooting.
L.H. Mettananda became principal in 1932. In 1934 the Ananda College
rifle shooting team won the prestigious Governor's cup. The school also
won the Herman Loos cup again and the Ceylon Light Infantry (CLI)
challenge cup.
The school celebrated its Golden Jubilee on November 1, 1936. In
1943, the school began what is now known as A/L classes. In the academic
year 1946 -1947 Ananda was in the forefront in the island in the
university entrance results.
Rajapaksa Era
Ananda won the Herman Loos cup in 1949 and 1950 as well. In 1952,
Anandians set up a record in rifle shooting. The inter school boxing
championship was won the same year.
Col. G.W. Rajapaksa, an old Anandian, as the prefect of games was
instrumental in this regard. He became principal in 1969, heralding in a
glorious decade for Ananda, which was taken over by the Government in
1961.
A profound thinker, he took Ananda to new heights. By this time,
Ananda had nearly 5,000 students.
Though firmly rooted in Sinhala Buddhist traditions, Ananda was
always multi-cultural and multi-ethnic. The Ananda Viharaya was
venerated by students from all religious groups and all sought advice
from erudite Bhikku teachers including Most Venerable Aggamaha Panditha
Balangoda Ananda Maitreya, Venerable Professor Kotagama Vacissara and
Venerable Diviyagaha Yasassi Theras. Children from all communities sat
side by side in classrooms and engaged in sports. The teachers too were
from different communities. Ananda also had some foreign students,
mostly sons of foreign diplomats in the days before international
schools came into being.
Ananda continues to be a beacon in the field of education. Anandians
serve their country - and indeed the world - in a variety of capacities.
Wherever in the world they are, Anandians will never lose their sense of
patriotism.
Thus there is no wonder at all that Anandians were in the forefront
of the battle against terrorism. |