Prasanna Jayasuriya unanimously elected Maha Bodhi Society President

Prasanna Jayasuriya has been elected unanimously for the post of the President of the Maha Bodhi Society of India at its 112th annual general meeting held last Saturday in Kolkata, India.

Prasanna, a close relative of Anagarika Dharmapala, founder of the Maha Bodhi Movement in 1891 is the 12th President and the first Sri Lankan layman to hold this prestigious post.

The Society's first President was Most Venerable Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayake Maha Thera, a renowned Buddhist scholar and the founder Parivenadhipathi of the Vidyodaya Pirivena, Maligakanda, Colombo, Sir Ashutosh Mukherjea, Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court and the Vice-Chancellor of the Calcutta University, Justice Manmatha Mukherjea and Dr. Shyam Prakash Mukherjea, a front line leader of the India's freedom movement were among those held this post during British era. Prasanna is a son of late Gamani Jayasuriya, a former President of the Maha Bodhi Society of Sri Lanka and a senior Vice President of the Maha bodhi Society of India, a Parliamentarian and a Minister.

Prior to this appointment, Prasanna served as a member of the Governing Body and a member of the Board of Trustee of the Society. His name for the post of the President was proposed by Ven. Dr. Dodamgoda Rewatha Thera, General Secretary of the Maha Bodhi Society of India.

Jayasuriya addressing the life members from different countries said that he will work with devotion to carry forward the vision and the mission of the Anagarika Dharmapala while following the footsteps set by former Presidents to preserve and promote the ideals of the Maha Bodhi Movement established over 100 years ago.