Mahinda College
Encyclopedia
Mahinda College is a Buddhist boys' school in Galle
, Sri Lanka
. It is a national school, which provides primary and secondary education. The school was established on March 1, 1892 by the Buddhist Theosophical Society
led by Colonel
Henry Steel Olcott
. Mahinda College is one of the oldest and leading Buddhist schools in Sri Lanka.
, a retired United States
army officer was in search of truth. He studied various philosophies and listened to the sermons of various religious dignitaries. But his inquiring mind did not find an answer. In his search he came across a comprehensive report of the Panadurawadaya. It was a report of a religious debate between Buddhist monks and Christian clergy. Olcott appreciated the contentions of the Buddhist monks and started corresponding with the outstanding Buddhist monks of Ceylon. This correspondence eventually led him to visit Ceylon.
Col. Olcott landed in Galle on May 17, 1880 in the company of Madame H. P. Blavatsky. They became Buddhists at the Wijeyananda temple in Galle. Olcott and Blavatsky were grieved at the treatment the Buddhists, their institutions and the religion received at the hands of the colonial rulers and the Christian hierarchy. They identified that the greatest danger came from the proselytization of the Buddhist children through education. To combat this they founded the Buddhist Theosophical Society and set about opening up Buddhist English schools, for Buddhist children. He opened up the B.T.S. English school at Pettigalawatta on September 15, 1880. This school had a short existence and later with the arrival of Dr. Bowles Daly (LLD
), an Irish
clergyman and a theosophist, Mahinda College was opened on March 1, 1892 at Pedlar Street in Galle fort
. The school was named after Arhant Mahinda
Thero, the Buddhist monk who brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka.
Dr. Daly was a good disciplinarian and a tireless worker. But he left after a very short period of one year.The ensuing period of nearly a decade saw the school simply drifting with a number of principals serving for short periods. However with the arrival of Mr. Frank Lee Woodward as principal on August 1, 1903, things took a turn for the better.
From the day Mr. Woodward became the principal, the school had slowly but steadily progressed. By December 1903 within 4 months after Mr. Woodward’s assumption of office as principal, the average attendance of the school had risen to 142 from 89. In the same month students had been sent for the Cambridge examination and in July 1904, a student of Mahinda, G.W.Perera had won the university scholarship. By 1905 there had been 246 boys on the roll. It was during that period that Col.Olcott visited the College twice in 1904 and 1906. The year 1907 had been a dark year for Mahinda. Both Col.Olcott and Muhandiram Thomas Amarasuriya had died in that year. On June 25, 1907, Mr. Henry Amarasuriya, the son of the later had been elected as the manager of the school.
In this time Mr. F.L.Woodward had been active with a plan to move the College to a place with surroundings more conductive to its healthy growth. Mrs. D.F.de Silva of Minuwangoda donated a land called “Devatagawatta” far from the madding crowd, in a salubrious and elevated plot of land. It was a magical charming hillock with enlivening beauty of the central highlands painted on its eastern sky. It had attracted the attention Mr. F.L.Woodward who had a high sense of aesthetic beauty. The panoramic view of the Sripada (Adam’s peak) also said that it is the most suitable place to a Buddhist school. On January 15, 1908 at 2.14 p.m, Mr. Woodward had laid the foundation stone of the Olcott hall. In July and October of the same year, the foundation stones for the Amrasuriya block and Matara blocks had been laid by Mr. H.Amarasuriya, E.S.Balasuriya and D.N.Weeratunga respectively. On August 1, 1912 the new building had been ceremonially opened. With the shifting of the school to its present abode, the number of students had risen to 300. The first price giving commemorating the 21st anniversary of inauguration of the school and the ninth anniversary of Mr.Woodward’s arrival was also celebrated in 1912. Mr. A.D.Jayasinghe joined the staff in 1917. He was later appointed as the headmaster of the school.
In 1919, Mr.F.L.Woodward left for Tasmania
to devote the subsequent 33 years of his life to the task of editing and translating Buddhist texts to be published by the Pali Text Society
, London.
Unlike in the 1890’s Mr. Woodward was succeeded by capable men like Dr. Kalidas Nag, Mr. F.G. Pearce, Mr.W. A. Troupe and Mr. P.R. Gunasekara. But they served Mahinda College only for very short periods. They were succeeded by an eminent old boy of the college, Mr. Edgar Albert Wijesooriya in 1932. This can be termed the golden age of Mahinda. He retired in 1962 with the taking over of assisted schools by the government. Thereafter Mahinda College became a government Sinhala medium school.
Mr. Jayasena H. Gunasekara succeeded Mr. Wijesooriya. During his tenure of office many buildings came up and the school population was almost doubled. After the departure of Mr. Gunasekara Mr. C. K. Waidyarathne acted till the arrival of Mr. B. K. Silva. After him Mr.W. A. D. S. Gunathilake served Mahinda College for five years. His elevation to a higher post in the department of education led to the appointment of Mr. C.K. Waidyarathne as a permanent principal. He was succeeded by another old boy of Mahinda College, Mr. D. D. Jayasundara in 1987. With his departure in 1991 another old boy, Mr. M. Wickramasinghe was appointed principal in 1992. The centenary celebrations were held that year on a very grand scale. He went back to the department in 1994 and was succeeded by yet another old boy Mr. D.C.Nissanka de Silva who too joined the department in 1996. Mr. Silva was succeeded by Mr. D. K. Athukorala as the principal. Mr. Athukorala served Mahinda College for eight years. After him Mr. K.A.Susil Premanath and Mr. L.C. Karunasena served as the acting principals. Currently, Mr. R. M. Werahara who is an old boy of Mahinda, is the principal. He was appointed on December 3, 2008.
Mahinda College, as well as many other Buddhist Schools in Sri Lanka, owes its existence to Col Henry Steele Olcott, philanthropist and the founder of the Buddhist Theosophical Society. Having read a printed version of the ' Panadurawadaya ' of 1873, a public debate between Buddhist and Christian representatives on the correctness of each belief, Col Olcott was really impressed of the teachings in Theravada Buddhism, which were in line with his vision as a theosophist. It resulted in him arriving in Sri Lanka to study more on Buddhism, and starting a branch of the Theosophical Society, first in Colombo and then in Kandy and Galle. He was ably supported by Venerable Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera
, Venerable Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thero, Venerable Walane Sri Siddhartha Thero and Venerable Ratmalane Dhammaloka Thero, along with Anagarika Dharmapala
, Walisinghe Harischandra
, and Sir.D.B. Jayatilaka
.
With Col. Olcott’s initiative and guidance, the theosophists identified that a major factor for the decline of Sinhala
Buddhists was the lack of proper education facilities and the best solution was to make available educational institutes with a solid Buddhist religious background. It was under this theory that foundations were laid to the beginning of the "Buddhist Schools" in Sri Lanka, which include the likes of Mahinda College in Galle, Dharmaraja College in Kandy
, Ananda College
in Colombo
and Maliyadeva College
in Kurunegala
.
in Norfolk
, England
, as the son of a vicar of the Anglican religion. He had an archetypal Victorian boyhood and attended a traditional English public school. He won a scholarship to Cambridge
and later turned to teaching, which secured him a deputy headmastership. He joined the London
Theosophical Society and was a great friend of Col. Henry Steel Olcott. Col.Olcott offered him the principalship of Mahinda College, which he accepted and nursed for 16 years.
He was the principal of Mahinda College from 1903 to 1919. Woodward’s work at Mahinda College included taking classes in English
, Latin
, Pali, Buddhism and Art, in addition to the administrative duties associated with the position of principal of the school. With the assistance of Mudaliyar Gunaratne, Muhandiram Thomas Amarasuriya, Muhandiram Wickremasinghe and the benevolent Buddhist public, Mr. Woodward shifted the College to its present site and made it one of the leading colleges in the Southern Sri Lanka. His involvement went much further. He was the designer and architect of its buildings, personally supervised their construction, and often worked alongside with the masons.Mr. Woodward who has not only built buildings for Mahinda College gave it a soul – the Woodward tradition. This was done through precept and practice. He decided to leave the college in 1919.
Frank Lee Woodward spent his retirement in Rowella, Tasmania
, translating Buddhist scriptures from Pali
to English. A vegetarian, a mystic and a man of whimsy, he practiced yoga, wore a turban and lived alone, surrounded by Buddhist scriptures on thousands of palm-leaves. He has translated eighteen of the forty-two volumes of the Pali texts into English and compiled the vast concordance of the Pali canon
, which occupied the last fifteen years of his life. He was an erudite Pali scholar and translator. Mr.Frank Lee Woodward died in 1952.
.
These houses are named after four great ancient kings of Sri Lanka. Annual sporting events are held among these houses.
, Galle. The contest was started in the year 1905 under principals Rev. James Horne Darrel of Richmond College and Frank Lee Woodward of Mahinda College. Out of the big matches played up to now, Mahinda College has won 23 encounters while Richmond College has won 21. Lovers Quarrel was last won by Mahinda College in the 2008 encounter, having broken a 30 year long deadlock of draws since 1978.
Mahinda College also has been the first school in Sri Lanka to webcast their cricket big match.
Galle
Galle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District....
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. It is a national school, which provides primary and secondary education. The school was established on March 1, 1892 by the Buddhist Theosophical Society
Theosophical Society
The Theosophical Society is an organization formed in 1875 to advance the spiritual principles and search for Truth known as Theosophy. The original organization, after splits and realignments has several successors...
led by Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Henry Steel Olcott
Henry Steel Olcott
Colonel Henry Steel Olcott was an American military officer, journalist, lawyer and the co-founder and first President of the Theosophical Society....
. Mahinda College is one of the oldest and leading Buddhist schools in Sri Lanka.
History
Colonel Henry Steel OlcottHenry Steel Olcott
Colonel Henry Steel Olcott was an American military officer, journalist, lawyer and the co-founder and first President of the Theosophical Society....
, a retired United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
army officer was in search of truth. He studied various philosophies and listened to the sermons of various religious dignitaries. But his inquiring mind did not find an answer. In his search he came across a comprehensive report of the Panadurawadaya. It was a report of a religious debate between Buddhist monks and Christian clergy. Olcott appreciated the contentions of the Buddhist monks and started corresponding with the outstanding Buddhist monks of Ceylon. This correspondence eventually led him to visit Ceylon.
Col. Olcott landed in Galle on May 17, 1880 in the company of Madame H. P. Blavatsky. They became Buddhists at the Wijeyananda temple in Galle. Olcott and Blavatsky were grieved at the treatment the Buddhists, their institutions and the religion received at the hands of the colonial rulers and the Christian hierarchy. They identified that the greatest danger came from the proselytization of the Buddhist children through education. To combat this they founded the Buddhist Theosophical Society and set about opening up Buddhist English schools, for Buddhist children. He opened up the B.T.S. English school at Pettigalawatta on September 15, 1880. This school had a short existence and later with the arrival of Dr. Bowles Daly (LLD
Legum Doctor
Legum Doctor is a doctorate-level academic degree in law, or an honorary doctorate, depending on the jurisdiction. The double L in the abbreviation refers to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both Canon Law and Civil Law, the double L indicating the plural, Doctor of both...
), an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
clergyman and a theosophist, Mahinda College was opened on March 1, 1892 at Pedlar Street in Galle fort
Galle Fort
Galle Fort, in the Bay of Galle on the south east coast of Sri Lanka, was built first in 1588 by the Portuguese, then extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onwards...
. The school was named after Arhant Mahinda
Mahinda
Mahinda was a Buddhist monk depicted in Buddhist sources as bringing Buddhism to Sri Lanka. He was the son of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka.- Historical Sources :...
Thero, the Buddhist monk who brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka.
Dr. Daly was a good disciplinarian and a tireless worker. But he left after a very short period of one year.The ensuing period of nearly a decade saw the school simply drifting with a number of principals serving for short periods. However with the arrival of Mr. Frank Lee Woodward as principal on August 1, 1903, things took a turn for the better.
From the day Mr. Woodward became the principal, the school had slowly but steadily progressed. By December 1903 within 4 months after Mr. Woodward’s assumption of office as principal, the average attendance of the school had risen to 142 from 89. In the same month students had been sent for the Cambridge examination and in July 1904, a student of Mahinda, G.W.Perera had won the university scholarship. By 1905 there had been 246 boys on the roll. It was during that period that Col.Olcott visited the College twice in 1904 and 1906. The year 1907 had been a dark year for Mahinda. Both Col.Olcott and Muhandiram Thomas Amarasuriya had died in that year. On June 25, 1907, Mr. Henry Amarasuriya, the son of the later had been elected as the manager of the school.
In this time Mr. F.L.Woodward had been active with a plan to move the College to a place with surroundings more conductive to its healthy growth. Mrs. D.F.de Silva of Minuwangoda donated a land called “Devatagawatta” far from the madding crowd, in a salubrious and elevated plot of land. It was a magical charming hillock with enlivening beauty of the central highlands painted on its eastern sky. It had attracted the attention Mr. F.L.Woodward who had a high sense of aesthetic beauty. The panoramic view of the Sripada (Adam’s peak) also said that it is the most suitable place to a Buddhist school. On January 15, 1908 at 2.14 p.m, Mr. Woodward had laid the foundation stone of the Olcott hall. In July and October of the same year, the foundation stones for the Amrasuriya block and Matara blocks had been laid by Mr. H.Amarasuriya, E.S.Balasuriya and D.N.Weeratunga respectively. On August 1, 1912 the new building had been ceremonially opened. With the shifting of the school to its present abode, the number of students had risen to 300. The first price giving commemorating the 21st anniversary of inauguration of the school and the ninth anniversary of Mr.Woodward’s arrival was also celebrated in 1912. Mr. A.D.Jayasinghe joined the staff in 1917. He was later appointed as the headmaster of the school.
In 1919, Mr.F.L.Woodward left for Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
to devote the subsequent 33 years of his life to the task of editing and translating Buddhist texts to be published by the Pali Text Society
Pali Text Society
The Pali Text Society was founded in 1881 by T.W. Rhys Davids "to foster and promote the study of Pali texts".Pali is the language in which the texts of the Theravada school of Buddhism is preserved...
, London.
Unlike in the 1890’s Mr. Woodward was succeeded by capable men like Dr. Kalidas Nag, Mr. F.G. Pearce, Mr.W. A. Troupe and Mr. P.R. Gunasekara. But they served Mahinda College only for very short periods. They were succeeded by an eminent old boy of the college, Mr. Edgar Albert Wijesooriya in 1932. This can be termed the golden age of Mahinda. He retired in 1962 with the taking over of assisted schools by the government. Thereafter Mahinda College became a government Sinhala medium school.
Mr. Jayasena H. Gunasekara succeeded Mr. Wijesooriya. During his tenure of office many buildings came up and the school population was almost doubled. After the departure of Mr. Gunasekara Mr. C. K. Waidyarathne acted till the arrival of Mr. B. K. Silva. After him Mr.W. A. D. S. Gunathilake served Mahinda College for five years. His elevation to a higher post in the department of education led to the appointment of Mr. C.K. Waidyarathne as a permanent principal. He was succeeded by another old boy of Mahinda College, Mr. D. D. Jayasundara in 1987. With his departure in 1991 another old boy, Mr. M. Wickramasinghe was appointed principal in 1992. The centenary celebrations were held that year on a very grand scale. He went back to the department in 1994 and was succeeded by yet another old boy Mr. D.C.Nissanka de Silva who too joined the department in 1996. Mr. Silva was succeeded by Mr. D. K. Athukorala as the principal. Mr. Athukorala served Mahinda College for eight years. After him Mr. K.A.Susil Premanath and Mr. L.C. Karunasena served as the acting principals. Currently, Mr. R. M. Werahara who is an old boy of Mahinda, is the principal. He was appointed on December 3, 2008.
Henry Steel Olcott
Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera
Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera or Mohottiwatte Gunananda Thera was a Sri Lankan Buddhist orator. He is known for leading the Buddhist side in debates that occurred between the Buddhists and the Christians in Baddegama, Udanwita, Waragoda, Liyanagemulla, Gampola, and in the most famous of the debates...
, Venerable Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thero, Venerable Walane Sri Siddhartha Thero and Venerable Ratmalane Dhammaloka Thero, along with Anagarika Dharmapala
Anagarika Dharmapala
Anagarika Dharmapala was a leading figure of Buddhism in the twentieth century. He was one of the founding contributors of Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalism and Protestant Buddhism...
, Walisinghe Harischandra
Walisinghe Harischandra
Brahmachari Walisinghe Harischandra was a social reformer, historian, author and revivalist of Sri Lankan Buddhism. He was a follower of Anagarika Dharmapala, who gave leadership to the Buddhist revivalist movement, after the lead given by Colonel Henry Steel Olcott...
, and Sir.D.B. Jayatilaka
Don Baron Jayatilaka
Sir Don Baron Jayatilaka was a Sri Lankan educationalist, politician and diplomat....
.
With Col. Olcott’s initiative and guidance, the theosophists identified that a major factor for the decline of Sinhala
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
Buddhists was the lack of proper education facilities and the best solution was to make available educational institutes with a solid Buddhist religious background. It was under this theory that foundations were laid to the beginning of the "Buddhist Schools" in Sri Lanka, which include the likes of Mahinda College in Galle, Dharmaraja College in Kandy
Kandy
Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
, Ananda College
Ananda College
Ananda College , Colombo which is considered as the leading National school in Sri Lanka, was established on November 1, 1886, by the Buddhist Theosophical Society led by Colonel Henry Steel Olcott...
in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
and Maliyadeva College
Maliyadeva College
Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala, is a government school established in 1888, by the Buddhist Theosophical Society led by Colonel Henry Steel Olcott. It is one of Sri Lanka's oldest schools and considered by many to be a leading Buddhist school in Sri Lanka.It is a National School and controlled by...
in Kurunegala
Kurunegala
Kurunegala , is the capital of the North Western Province, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka and the Kurunegala District. Kurunegala was also an ancient royal capital for 50 years, from the end of the 13th century to the start of the 13th century. The town itself is a busy commercial and a transport hub...
.
Frank Lee Woodward
Frank Lee Woodward (1871-1952) was born in Saham ToneySaham Toney
Saham Toney is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is North of Thetford, west of Norwich and north-east of London. The village lies west of the town of Attleborough.The nearest railway station is at Attleborough for the Breckland Line which runs between...
in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, as the son of a vicar of the Anglican religion. He had an archetypal Victorian boyhood and attended a traditional English public school. He won a scholarship to Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
and later turned to teaching, which secured him a deputy headmastership. He joined the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Theosophical Society and was a great friend of Col. Henry Steel Olcott. Col.Olcott offered him the principalship of Mahinda College, which he accepted and nursed for 16 years.
He was the principal of Mahinda College from 1903 to 1919. Woodward’s work at Mahinda College included taking classes in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, Pali, Buddhism and Art, in addition to the administrative duties associated with the position of principal of the school. With the assistance of Mudaliyar Gunaratne, Muhandiram Thomas Amarasuriya, Muhandiram Wickremasinghe and the benevolent Buddhist public, Mr. Woodward shifted the College to its present site and made it one of the leading colleges in the Southern Sri Lanka. His involvement went much further. He was the designer and architect of its buildings, personally supervised their construction, and often worked alongside with the masons.Mr. Woodward who has not only built buildings for Mahinda College gave it a soul – the Woodward tradition. This was done through precept and practice. He decided to leave the college in 1919.
Frank Lee Woodward spent his retirement in Rowella, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, translating Buddhist scriptures from Pali
Pali language
Pāli is a Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is best known as the language of many of the earliest extant Buddhist scriptures, as collected in the Pāi Canon or Tipitaka, and as the liturgical language of Theravada Buddhism.-Etymology of the name:The word Pali itself...
to English. A vegetarian, a mystic and a man of whimsy, he practiced yoga, wore a turban and lived alone, surrounded by Buddhist scriptures on thousands of palm-leaves. He has translated eighteen of the forty-two volumes of the Pali texts into English and compiled the vast concordance of the Pali canon
Pāli Canon
The Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the only completely surviving early Buddhist canon, and one of the first to be written down...
, which occupied the last fifteen years of his life. He was an erudite Pali scholar and translator. Mr.Frank Lee Woodward died in 1952.
Mahinda College today
The college today provides education to over 3750 students from grade 1 to 13. Students are divided into five groups namely Primary, Junior, Secondary, Senior Secondary and Collegiate. The present principal of Mahinda College is Mr.R.M.Werahera, an old Mahindian. The college academic staff comprising 175 academically qualified teachers, most of them having university degrees or diplomas and some of them having masters. It has a non academic staff of about 30. Over the years, Mahinda College has earned its reputation in various areas of academic excellence as well as in sports. The college provides many facilities to the students to excel in education as well as in a number of extra curricular activities. The school's sports facilities include a Swimming pool, Cricket and athletics ground, Gym and a Basketball court.Past principals
- 1892-1893 : Dr. Bowels Daly
- 1894 : Lovegrove
- 1895-1896 : O.A. Jayasekara (Acting)
- 1897-1898 : M. Balasubramaniya Mudlier
- 1898 : Gordon Douglas
- 1899 : O.A. Jayasekara (Acting)
- 1900 : M.J. Fernando
- 1901 : O.A Jayasekara
- 1902 : Mc Dougal
- 1903-1919 : F.L. Woodward
- 1919-1920 : Kalidas Nag
- 1920 : S de S Jayarathna (Acting)
- 1921-1923 : F.G. Pearce
- 1923-1926 : W.A. Troup
- 1926-1932 : P.A.Gunasekara
- 1932-1962 : E.A.Wijesuriya
- 1962-1974 : J.H. Gunasekara
- 1974-1975 : C.K Waidyarathnae (Acting)
- 1975-1978 : B.K Silva
- 1978-1983 : W.A.D.S. Gunatilake
- 1983-1987 : C.K Waidyarathnae
- 1987-1991 : D.D. Jayasundara
- 1992-1994 : M.Wickramasinha
- 1994-1996 : D.C.N. de Silva
- 1996-2004 : D.K. Athukorola
- 2004-2007 : K.A.Susil Premanath
- 2007-2008 : L.C.Karunasena
- 2008 - : R.M.Werahera
Houses
Students are divided into four housesHouse system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
.
- Gamunu -
- Thissa -
- Pandukabhaya -
- Parakrama -
These houses are named after four great ancient kings of Sri Lanka. Annual sporting events are held among these houses.
Clubs & Societies
- Do You Know Society
- Environmental Society
- Human Rights Society
- Buddhist Association
- Media Circle
- St. John Ambulance First Aid Unit
- Temperance Movement
- Mahinda College Choir
- Sinhala Literary Association
- English Drama Society
- Sinhala Drama Society
- Scouts Troop
- Space Science Society
- English Literary Association
- College Orchestras
- Cadet Corps
- Traffic Controlling Unit
- IT Club
- Interact Club
- United Nations Educational Circle
- Commerce Society
- Arts Society
- Science Society
Sports
- Athletics
- Chess
- Gymnastics
- Basketball
- Rugby
- Volleyball
- Soccer
- Cricket
- Baseball
- Table tennis
- Badminton
- Swimming
- Hockey
- Scrabble
- Billiard and Snooker
Lovers' Quarrel
Lovers' Quarrel, also known as Mahinda - Richmond big match is an annual cricket match played between the first XI cricket teams of Mahinda College and Richmond CollegeRichmond College
Richmond College is a primary and secondary school in Galle, Sri Lanka. The school was established in 1814 by Christian missionaries. Richmond College is now a well established institution with a reputation as one of the finest schools in Sri Lanka...
, Galle. The contest was started in the year 1905 under principals Rev. James Horne Darrel of Richmond College and Frank Lee Woodward of Mahinda College. Out of the big matches played up to now, Mahinda College has won 23 encounters while Richmond College has won 21. Lovers Quarrel was last won by Mahinda College in the 2008 encounter, having broken a 30 year long deadlock of draws since 1978.
Mahinda College also has been the first school in Sri Lanka to webcast their cricket big match.