Maliyadeva College
Encyclopedia
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 the Central government. Today the school accommodates nearly 4500 students. The term "Devans" is being used to call the former/present pupils of Maliyadeva College.
In June 1888, a new school with one student was opened at a place in Bodhiraja Mawatha near the present Central Bus Stand in Kurunegala, pioneered by Anagarika Dharmapala
and Colonel Henry Steel Olcott
with the assistance of local donors; Messrs. Hulugalle, Adikaram and Mudaliyar Attygala. This school was named as "Kurunegala Buddhist Institution".
The school was managed by the "Buddhist Theosophical Society". The first manager of the school was Mr A.M Abeygunaratna who was also a Notary Public.
By 1908, the number of students has risen to one hundred. In 1909 the school was moved to a new premises at a Buddhist Temple Ethkanda Viharaya along the Kandy
- Kurunegala
main road.
In 1922, the management was changed from the Buddhist Theosophical Society to the Y.M.B.A. and Dr H.K.T Zilva became the new manager.
In 1927 the name of the school was changed to its present name as "Maliyadeva College". In the same year, the Students' Hostel was opened with fifteen boarding students.
Mr U.B Wanninayaka (who later became a politician and government Minister) was appointed as the Principal in 1930.
In 1934, a batch of students from the Maliyadeva College appeared for the S.S.C Examination (equivalent to current G.C.E O/L) for the first time. Mr E.S Balasooriya was the first student to pass this examination.
By 1936, the number of students has increased to a level that the premises at Ethkanda Viharaya was not big enough. So the school was moved to its current location along the Negombo
- Kurunegala
road. The land was owned by Madawala Disawa and bought by Mr H.K.T de Zilva.
Mr P de S Kularatne was appointed as the manager in 1941. He changed the status of the school in to a mixed school.
Due to the ongoing second world war, the school buildings and land was taken over by the Army in 1942. The school had to be shifted back to its previous location at Ethkanda Viharaya. The number of students had increased to over three hundred and sixty by this period.
Primary section of the school was moved to a new location along Colombo
- Kurunegala
road in 1944. This later became the Maliyadeva Girls' College
.
In 1946 the school was handed back to the Y.M.B.A by the Army. Only the boys were moved back. Maliyadeva Girls' College
commenced functioning as a separate school. In the same year the Maliyadeva college became a government assisted school. By this time, the number of students had increased to 800.
In 1949, the school was upgraded to the status of a "Grade 1 school in the island.University Entrance (Arts) and S.S.C (equivalent to current G.C.E O/L)Science classes were commenced. Mr D.B Dissanayaka was appointed as the Vice-Principal during this year.
In 1951, students appeared for the University Entrance (Arts) and S.S.C (Science) Examinations for the first time. Mr T.B.H Abeysinghe was the first student to enter the University from Maliyadeva College. Later Mr Abeysinghe rose to the position of Professor of History.
University Entrance (Science) classes were commenced in 1953. Mr Wanigasekara was the first graduate science teacher appointed to the school.In 1955 Mr.A.P.K.Thilakarathna was first
student who pass the S.S.C(Science)Examinations for the first time.
According to the Education Policy of the incumbent government, the status of the school changed from "Government Assisted" school to a "Government
" school in 1961 during the "take over" of all Assisted schools. The Y.M.B.A willingly handed the school over to the Ministry of Education.
From 1961 to 1980 , the Maliyadeva College developed to become the most popular educational institution in the North-West region and one of the finest schools in the whole country. It developed a well structured curricular and extra-curricular programs and sports including Cricket, Rugby, Hockey, Basket ball, Badminton, Wrestling, Cadeting and Scouting.
In the field of aesthetics Maliyadeva had won the All Island awards in oriental music and orchestra competitions for many years consecutively. During this period, the service given to the school by Mr Dayapala as the Music teacher was tremendous.
1979 saw an end of an era as Mr D.B Dissanayake retired after serving the school fourteen years as the principal.
By 1985, the number of students had risen to Three Thousand. The school was upgraded to the status of a "National School" by the Ministry of Education under the reorganization of schools.
School Anthem (Sound Track)
:
– Thissa – Gemunu – Parakrama – Rajasingha
The house names are derived from the past kings of Sri Lanka . The houses compete annually in all major games to win the respective inter-house games.
Battle of the Rocks
(Maliyadeva vs St. Anne's
), the annual Cricket encounter is a prominent sporting event played between two schools in North Western province of Sri Lanka
.
The cricket match is played between (Maliyadeva College & St. Anne's College
annually at the Welagedara Stadium
, Kurunegala
. The match is played over two days and the winner is presented with the Janaka Bogollagama Trophy. The two day match is followed by a one-day match between the two sides which started in 1992.
The encounter has a long history. However, in certain years, it was not played due to various reasons. The Year 2009 marked the 29th and the 17th of the Battle of the Rocks and the annual limited overs match.
See the Battle of the Rocks
article for more information.
.
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...
, is a government school established in 1888, by the Buddhist Theosophical Society led by Colonel 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....
. It is one of 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...
's oldest schools and considered by many to be a leading Buddhist school in 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 and controlled by the Central government. Today the school accommodates nearly 4500 students. The term "Devans" is being used to call the former/present pupils of Maliyadeva College.
History
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...
and Colonel 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....
with the assistance of local donors; Messrs. Hulugalle, Adikaram and Mudaliyar Attygala. This school was named as "Kurunegala Buddhist Institution".
The school was managed by the "Buddhist Theosophical Society". The first manager of the school was Mr A.M Abeygunaratna who was also a Notary Public.
By 1908, the number of students has risen to one hundred. In 1909 the school was moved to a new premises at a Buddhist Temple Ethkanda Viharaya along the 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...
- 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...
main road.
In 1922, the management was changed from the Buddhist Theosophical Society to the Y.M.B.A. and Dr H.K.T Zilva became the new manager.
In 1927 the name of the school was changed to its present name as "Maliyadeva College". In the same year, the Students' Hostel was opened with fifteen boarding students.
Mr U.B Wanninayaka (who later became a politician and government Minister) was appointed as the Principal in 1930.
In 1934, a batch of students from the Maliyadeva College appeared for the S.S.C Examination (equivalent to current G.C.E O/L) for the first time. Mr E.S Balasooriya was the first student to pass this examination.
By 1936, the number of students has increased to a level that the premises at Ethkanda Viharaya was not big enough. So the school was moved to its current location along the Negombo
Negombo
Negombo is a town of about 121,933, approximately 37 km north of Colombo, in Sri Lanka. It is located at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, about 7 km from the Bandaranaike International Airport...
- 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...
road. The land was owned by Madawala Disawa and bought by Mr H.K.T de Zilva.
Mr P de S Kularatne was appointed as the manager in 1941. He changed the status of the school in to a mixed school.
Due to the ongoing second world war, the school buildings and land was taken over by the Army in 1942. The school had to be shifted back to its previous location at Ethkanda Viharaya. The number of students had increased to over three hundred and sixty by this period.
Primary section of the school was moved to a new location along 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...
- 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...
road in 1944. This later became the Maliyadeva Girls' College
Maliyadeva Girls' College
Maliyadeva Girls' College is a national Buddhist school in Sri Lanka situated in Kurunegala. Today it accommodates over 4000 students.- History :...
.
In 1946 the school was handed back to the Y.M.B.A by the Army. Only the boys were moved back. Maliyadeva Girls' College
Maliyadeva Girls' College
Maliyadeva Girls' College is a national Buddhist school in Sri Lanka situated in Kurunegala. Today it accommodates over 4000 students.- History :...
commenced functioning as a separate school. In the same year the Maliyadeva college became a government assisted school. By this time, the number of students had increased to 800.
In 1949, the school was upgraded to the status of a "Grade 1 school in the island.University Entrance (Arts) and S.S.C (equivalent to current G.C.E O/L)Science classes were commenced. Mr D.B Dissanayaka was appointed as the Vice-Principal during this year.
In 1951, students appeared for the University Entrance (Arts) and S.S.C (Science) Examinations for the first time. Mr T.B.H Abeysinghe was the first student to enter the University from Maliyadeva College. Later Mr Abeysinghe rose to the position of Professor of History.
University Entrance (Science) classes were commenced in 1953. Mr Wanigasekara was the first graduate science teacher appointed to the school.In 1955 Mr.A.P.K.Thilakarathna was first
student who pass the S.S.C(Science)Examinations for the first time.
According to the Education Policy of the incumbent government, the status of the school changed from "Government Assisted" school to a "Government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
" school in 1961 during the "take over" of all Assisted schools. The Y.M.B.A willingly handed the school over to the Ministry of Education.
From 1961 to 1980 , the Maliyadeva College developed to become the most popular educational institution in the North-West region and one of the finest schools in the whole country. It developed a well structured curricular and extra-curricular programs and sports including Cricket, Rugby, Hockey, Basket ball, Badminton, Wrestling, Cadeting and Scouting.
In the field of aesthetics Maliyadeva had won the All Island awards in oriental music and orchestra competitions for many years consecutively. During this period, the service given to the school by Mr Dayapala as the Music teacher was tremendous.
1979 saw an end of an era as Mr D.B Dissanayake retired after serving the school fourteen years as the principal.
By 1985, the number of students had risen to Three Thousand. The school was upgraded to the status of a "National School" by the Ministry of Education under the reorganization of schools.
-
- (Copyright Act of 1976, , United States Code: Title 17,107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use | LII / Legal Information Institute). Written by using Lakshman Bandara's article.
The School Today
Today the school provides the students with many luxurious facilities to do their studies in a healthy environment. It consists of 2 play grounds (one with a specially made cricket turf); a swimming pool; a basket-ball court; two children's parks (for the primary section); two computer labs with more than 75 modern computers; a medical centre (which all the medicine & treatments are given free of charge for the students); a dental centre; a saloon; a two storied shrine (in which a monk lives all the 365 days of the year); a gymnasium; a library; well equipped botanical, zoological, physical & chemical labs; a hostel; two canteens; a co-operative shop and many more facilities.School Anthem
-
- පායන සඳ අඹරේ ආ....
- පායන සඳ අඹරේ
- ලෙසිනා සැම කල් සුදිලේ මලිදෙව්
- පාසල් මාතා අපේ ආ....
- පායන සඳ අඹරේ
- බේදා ආගම් කුළ මල ඈ
- නොතකා එක සේ සතර බෙදා //
- ශාස්ත්ර කළා සැම විද්යා //
- දත් මහ පඬුවන් බිහි කරවා
- දිනේවා කිතුරැස් විහිදා ලෙසිනා
- පායන සඳ අඹරේ ආ....
- පායන සඳ අඹරේ
- ලෙසිනා සැම කල් සුදිලේ මලිදෙව්
- පාසල් මාතා අපේ
English Translation
-
- As the moon shines in the sky,
- long last our mother school,
- with glamour and glory,
- Ignoring the difference,
- religion and cast
- she gives knowledge to everyone,
- making genius people with
- arts, crafts and all the science,
- May long last our mother school
- with honor and reputation like
- the moon in the sky.
School Anthem (Sound Track)
Houses
The 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...
:
– Thissa – Gemunu – Parakrama – Rajasingha
The house names are derived from the past kings of Sri Lanka . The houses compete annually in all major games to win the respective inter-house games.
Sports
- Athletics
- Badminton
- Basketball
- Boxing
- Chess
- Cricket
- Swimming
- Table Tennis
- Tennis
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
- Wushu
Battle of the Rocks
Battle of the Rocks
Battle of the Rocks , the annual Cricket encounter is a prominent sporting event played between two schools in North Western province of Sri Lanka....
(Maliyadeva vs St. Anne's
St. Anne's College (Sri Lanka)
St Anne's College is a Catholic boys' school located in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka. About 3000 students are studying in this school. The present principal is Rev. Brother Denzil Mendis.-History:...
), the annual Cricket encounter is a prominent sporting event played between two schools in North Western province of 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...
.
The cricket match is played between (Maliyadeva College & St. Anne's College
St. Anne's College (Sri Lanka)
St Anne's College is a Catholic boys' school located in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka. About 3000 students are studying in this school. The present principal is Rev. Brother Denzil Mendis.-History:...
annually at the Welagedara Stadium
Welagedara Stadium
Welagedara Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka. The stadium was officially declared open by the then Minister of Home Affairs, Justice Felix Dias Bandaranaike in 1972. It is currently used mostly for cricket matches and hosts the Wayamba Cricket Team. The stadium can hold at...
, 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...
. The match is played over two days and the winner is presented with the Janaka Bogollagama Trophy. The two day match is followed by a one-day match between the two sides which started in 1992.
The encounter has a long history. However, in certain years, it was not played due to various reasons. The Year 2009 marked the 29th and the 17th of the Battle of the Rocks and the annual limited overs match.
See the Battle of the Rocks
Battle of the Rocks
Battle of the Rocks , the annual Cricket encounter is a prominent sporting event played between two schools in North Western province of Sri Lanka....
article for more information.
.
Clubs and Societies
- Buddhist Association
- Astronomical Society
- Brass Band
- Birds Observation Circle
- Cadets Troop
- Commerce Society
- Devans’ Heritage Club
- Debaters' Council
- English Literary Association
- Globe Club
- Information and Communication Technology Society
- Interact Club
- Media Unit
- Oriental Music Society
- Photographic Association
- Quiz Club
- Red Cross Society
- Science Society
- Maliyadeva Scout Group
- Sinhala Literary Association
- Philatelic Society
- UNESCO Society
- Western Band
- Western Music Society
- Young Inventor's Society
Past Principals
| Name | Entered Office | Departed Office |
|---|---|---|
| Mr T.B Madawala | ||
| Mr W.G De Silva | ||
| Mr A.B.Arur | ||
| Mr U.B Wanninayaka | ||
| Mr D.B Dissanayake | ||
| Mr W.A Jayathilake | ||
| Mr M.B Pethiyagoda | ||
| Mr D.B Dissanayake | ||
| Mr G.M.K Pathiaja | ||
| Mr H.B Wijekoone | ||
| Mr B.G Chandrasekara | ||
| Mr A.M.B Aberathne | ||
| Mr A.V Ranasinghe | ||
| Mr S.M.J.B Senevirathne | ||
| Mr R.M.M Rathnayake | ||
| Mr R.M C.P.K Rathnayake |