Dharmaraja College, Kandy - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Dharmaraja College founded in 1887 is a premier Boys' School 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...

, 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 Buddhist school with around 175 teaching staff and around 4,500 students. The school has many renowned figures in its alumni (aka Rajans) including William Gopallawa

William Gopallawa

William Gopallawa , MBE was the last Governor General of Ceylon from 1962 to 1972 and became the first President of Sri Lanka when Ceylon declared itself a republic in 1972 and changed its name to Sri Lanka...

, A. E. Goonesinha

A. E. Goonesinha

Alexander Ekanayake Goonesinha was a pioneering trade union leader known as the "Father of the Labour Movement" in Sri Lanka. He was the founder of the Ceylon Labor Party, Sri Lanka's first labor organization and was the First Ceylonese Mayor of Colombo. A. E...

, T.B Kehelgamuwa and others.

A land area of 54 acres (218,530.4 m²) is owned by the school spreading over half of the Dharmaraja hill. Dharmaraja has one of the oldest and most prestigious scout troops in the world, the 1st Kandy Dharmaraja Scout Group, which was established in 1913. It is one of the first Sri Lankan schools to start playing cricket. It has consistently ranked among the first two boys schools in Sri Lanka in the preference rankings based on year 5 scholarship

Scholarship Examination

The Scholarship Examination is a highly competitive Sri Lankan examination conducted by the Department of Examinations of the Ministry of Education. It is optional for students to undertake it during the final year of primary school . Based on the results of the exam, students could transfer to...

examinees' demand.

Background and initiation

Dharmaraja College, Kandy

Kandy

is one of the premier Buddhist Schools in the country boasting a prolific history of more than 120 years since 30 June 1887. The college was named after Buddha

Buddha

In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...

.

Dharmaraja College, as well as the 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 Panadura Vaadaya 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 the Venerable Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera

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...

- hero of the ‘Panadura Vadaya’, the Venerable Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thero, the Venerable Walane Sri Siddhartha Thero and the 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 Sir 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 Dharmaraja College, 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...

, 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...

& Mahinda College

Mahinda College

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...

.
In 1887 Sir Olcott visited Kandy and expressed his wish to start an English-medium Buddhist School. Several Kandyan nobles were very supportive of the idea, and it was decided that the plot of land in front of the Old Palace, adjoining the Natha Devalaya was the best for building the school. But there was an obstacle in that the plot was covered by a Bo tree, held sacred by the Buddhists, which had to be felled for putting up a school building. The British Administration opposed the felling citing that it would be an action against Buddhism. Wadugodapitiya Punchirala Korale, felled and removed the tree in one night, and leveled up the plot for the building.

It was under this pretext that in the morning of Thursday, the 30th of June 1887, Dharmaraja College, under the name of 'Kandy Buddhist High School', was opened. This occasion was graced by Sir Olcott and several Kandyan nobles including Dullawe Adhikaram, Wadugodapitiya Punchirala Korale, T.B. Panabokke and A.D.J. Gunawardena.

Andiris de Silva was the first principal and the only teacher of the school at that time, which had enrolled 12 students. The number of students reached the 50's and the staff increased to three under Andiris de Silva, who was an efficient leader and an accomplished teacher. Many of the local nobles supported the school by enrolling their children in, having faith in the staff and headmaster.

Initial development

However, by 1890, the necessity of a more qualified principal emerged and The Colombo Theosophical Society appointed Sir D.B. Jayathilake as principal. The school had around 80 students by then, and Sir Jayathilake’s popularity as a leader and his multi-disciplinary fluency and knowledge boosted enrolments as well as the quality of the school. The foundations of transforming Dharmaraja from a mere educational establishment to one of the best schools in Sri Lanka were laid by Sir Jayathilake. Sir Jayathilake was appointed the deputy principal of Ananda College in 1898, and later went on to become the Governor of Ceylon.

H. Banbury succeeded Sir Jayathilake as principal and he brought forth a campaign to raise funds for a permanent school building, traveling even in remote villages collecting donations. He used the money to build a single storied building near the city premises of the school, which was later named the 'Banbury Building' in his honor. One of the most notable events during his time was officially changing the name of the school to Dharmaraja College. Banbury left to India in 1899 to further pursue his studies.

Wilton Hack

Wilton Hack

Wilton Hack was an Australian artist, traveller, lecturer and utopist with interests in Theosophy and Eastern cultures.-Early life:...

took over from Banbury, and took over the challenge of developing the school's resources.

Later in 1899, following the retirement of Hack, C.S. Rajaratnam was appointed principal. Though he himself was not a Buddhist, he was an acclaimed scholar and continued to guide the school along Buddhist principles and attitudes, while giving more emphasis to improve the standard of the education. He won high acclaim from the Educational authorities.

Golden age

Dharmaraja’s golden age began with the appointment of K.F. Billimoria as principal in 1902. Billimoria gave priority to shaping Dharmaraja into a strong institution which could ably compete with the other Missionary Schools at that time. He recruited many able educators as dedicated as himself towards heightening the standards of Dharmaraja, and also identified the need of developing the physical resources to match the educational achievements. The founder of the Scout Movement, Lord Baden Powell visited the 'Lake View Park International Scout Centre' of Dharmaraja College twice during this period. It is a unique distinction held by any Sri Lankan school. In 1915, a two story building was completed at the city premises, which later was named in honor of Billimoria. By 1922 Billimoria had raised enough funds to purchase the ‘Lake View Estate’, a 37 acres (149,733.8 m²) land overlooking the Kandy Lake, and built the A and B wings of the College Hostel in 1923. The actual hostel began at the Principal’s quarters in 1921. There were several incidents of high social and literal importance occurred around Dharmaraja College during this period. Once, a Nobel Laureate in Literature, the great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...

did a dance recital at the Principal's bungalow when he visited the school in the 1920s. And the English poet D. H. Lawrence

D. H. Lawrence

David Herbert Richards Lawrence was an English novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic and painter who published as D. H. Lawrence. His collected works represent an extended reflection upon the dehumanising effects of modernity and industrialisation...

spent a holiday at Ardnaree, the college Principal's bungalow, in 1922.

The College Scout Group began in 1914, under the patronage of Billimoria and many sports and other extra-curricular activities were encouraged. The '1st Kandy Dharmaraja Scout Group' won the coveted "King's Flag" for three consecutive years from 1917 to 1919. This flag was traditionally awarded to the troop in any of the British colonies that had the largest number of King's Scouts. This is an unprecedented record held by any of the Sri Lankan schools even today. The Cricket Big-Match between Dharmaraja and Kingswood also began in this time. Several world renowned figures visited Dharmaraja during his office, including Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...

, Lord Baden Powell and D. H. Lawrence

D. H. Lawrence

. Billimoria served 30 years as principal. He was forced to retire in 1932, which led to the beginning of another important chapter of Dharmaraja History.

P. de S. Kularatne

P. de S. Kularatne

Patrick de Silva Kularatne was a educationist and politician of Sri Lanka. He established Nalanda College, Ananda Balika, Moratuwa Vidyalaya and Pannipitiya Vidyalaya...

, who had served as the principal at Ananda College, took over duties from Billimoria in 1932 and continued the work. However, Dharmaraja was facing a financial crisis when Kularatne assumed duties, and even the Lake View premise was under threat of being sold. But Kularatne, was able to save the land and secure a home for Dharmaraja, for centuries to come. He restored the Hostel and transformed the Principal’s quarters at the city premises to classrooms and a laboratory complex, and Dharmaraja started teaching science subjects in 1933. The first academic buildings in Lake View were built around this time and a part of the students were taken there. The roads and other facilities were also developed so that Lake View transformed from a shrubbery into a property any school would be proud to own. Cadetting in Dharmaraja also began during Kularatne’s office and so did many other sports including Tennis, Swimming etc. In 1935 Dharmaraja was visited by four distinguished visitors from India; Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore

, Nandalal Bose

Nandalal Bose

Nandalal Bose was a notable Indian painter of Bengal school of art. A pupil of Abanindranath Tagore, Bose was known for "Indian style" of painting. He became the principal of Kala Bhawan, Shanti Niketan in 1922...

, Uday Shankar

Uday Shankar

Uday Shankar , the pioneer of modern dance in India, and a world renowned Indian dancer and choreographer, was most known for adapting Western theatrical techniques to traditional Indian classical dance, imbued with elements of Indian classical, folk, and tribal dance, thus laying the roots of...

and Kalki Krishnamurthy

Kalki Krishnamurthy

Kalki was the pen name of R. Krishnamurthy , a noted Tamil writer, film & music critic, Indian independence activist and journalist from Tamil Nadu, India.- Biography:...

Beginning of second fifty years as leading school

In 1936 Kularatne was re-appointed as the principal of Ananda, and L.H. Mettananda, who was Ananda’s principal at that time, was appointed principal of Dharmaraja. Mettananda identified the necessity of more buildings for the College and set off to build two two-storey buildings at the Lake View premises. It was funded using proceedings of the Golden Jubilee Carnival in 1937 and other fund-raising projects. Dharmaraja started its Advanced Level classes in 1940, and around this time the Secondary Section of the college was moved to Lake View, leaving only the Primary Section at the original premises. Mettananda served Dharmaraja for nearly ten years, and those would be put as an exceptionally important chapter of the college history. In 1946 he was appointed principal back at Ananda, but his service to Dharmaraja would be remembered for years to come, especially with the Mettananda building which now houses the College Offices and the Library.

S.A. Wijayathilake was appointed principal of Dharmaraja in November 1945, the same year that free education was established in Sri Lanka. Wijayathilake faced the challenging task of maintaining the momentum set by Mettananda and Kularatne. He added several more buildings to the school and also developed the laboratories and the library. Wijayathilake, who was a scholar of Buddhist studies and Classical Languages, emphasized on developing the literary activities of the students. Academics saw marked progress within this time, and Wijayathilake’s vision and actions assured Dharmaraja held its place as one of the best schools in the country.

Wijayathilake retired in early 1955 and was replaced by Charles Godage, who was also a patron of Arts and an acclaimed poet and writer. He identified the constant need of physical resources for the College to function smoothly, and started the Dharmaraja Development Society in 1955. Dharmaraja College had become widely popular in the country by this time. Notably, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike started off his victorious campaign for the Parliamentary election of 1956, by an alms giving held at the Dharmaraja Primary School hall, which was known as a "Jayabima". In 1957, the "Kandy Education Front", which led the movement of persuading the Ceylonese government to take over assisted schools around the country, was established at the Dharmaraja Primary School hall under the Chairmanship of Sir Bennet Soysa, a distinguished Old Rajan. By 1959, the end of Godage’s office, the number of students had risen from 842 to 1276. This meant many more buildings, lab equipment and resources were necessary. Godage, along with the Development Society, added several more classrooms and laboratories, and also repaired many others. Godage, like his predecessors, gave priority to maintain a high standard in academics, and Dharmaraja’s fame only grew. Godage later left for England in 1959 for further pursuing his studies.

Becoming public school and further development

D.B. Thewarapperuma took over the duties from Godage, and continued the progress Dharmaraja had achieved during Godage’s office. The academic results and performance in sports saw improved during this time, and in 1960 Dharmaraja, along with Ananda, was taken over by the Government, which was a result of strong campaign led by Thewarapperuma and others. This meant that further development and improvement of the school’s resources could now be done without the cost burdening the school board. Thewarapperuma retired from his post in 1961.

Colonel E.A. Perusinghe took office as principal in 1961, and this period showed a marked improvement in the number of students and the number of staff members. Examination results became very satisfactory with large numbers of students being selected to universities, and Col. Perusinghe improved the infrastructure by building more classrooms for the Middle Section, and encouraged students to express themselves through school magazines, which he believed would give the students a chance to develop their communicative and literary skills. Under Col. Perusinghe Sports, Cadetting and Scouting activities prospered, with the students achieving National and International level victories. However Col. Perusinghe did not approve Boxing as a suitable sport for a school and removed it as a sport.

Col. Perusinghe retired in 1964 to be replaced by Colonel S.L.B. Amaranayake, who was an old boy of Dharmaraja. Col. Amaranayake completed the shrine room of the college and opened it. The academic achievements continued their positive trend under Col. Amaranayake, and extra curricular activities including cricket, football, hockey, cadetting and scouting reached very high standards. The hostel facilities too were developed and Col. Amaranayake settled the long term-problem of a water supply to the hostel. On the 27th of June 1965 the Kandy Municipal Council officially named the access road to the school as Dharmaraja Mawatha in recognition of the great service rendered by the school. After serving Dharmaraja for nearly six years, Col. Amaranayake retired in 1971.

D.G.B. Samarajiva took the helm of Dharmaraja from Col. Amaranayake, and was responsible for re-structuring the administration of the College. He founded the Sports Council, which gave more responsibility to the students in organizing the Sports Meet, Colors Nite and other sporting events. Samarajiva also restructured the internal administration by giving more responsibility to the Sectional Heads, and distributing the responsibilities of the Principal between Deputy Principals, accommodating them office space. He assigned Teachers as in charge of all the school societies, and also developed the library facilities by assigning a staff member as librarian and reserving funds for expansion. The Commerce section got its own library and Samarajiva also recruited a library staff to provide a better service to the students. After a short but important term as principal, Samarajiva left to Mathara District as the Director of Education in 1973.

A. P. Gunarathne took over office from Samarajiva in 1973 and he gave priority to develop all aspects of the school so that Dharmaraja could live up to its name as one of the premiere schools in the island. By this time Dharmaraja showed the best academic results in the Central Province, with many students being qualified to University education. Gunarathne initiated a Career Guidance Unit in 1983, which provided assistance to school-leavers for building a successful career. In 1985, the College Computer unit was established. In 1987 Dharmaraja celebrated its centenary with a Grand Exhibition, Grand Scout jamboree and many other events.

1990 - 2000 period

Last decade of 20th century was a colourful era in terms of college's achievements in education, sports and extra-curricular activities. Four principals lead Dharmaraja towards success during this period.

Development projects

Dharmaraja auditorium was built and opened to use of students and public. Dharmaraja badminton and weightlifting/body building facilities were developed.

Educational and co-curricular activities

Dharmaraja college clearly dominated the Central province in GCE O/L and A/L examinations during this period. Majority of university entries, especially in the fields of engineering and medicine, from Kandy schools were Rajans. For instance, among 33 entries to engineering faculties from Kandy district

Kandy District

Kandy District is a district of the Central Province of Sri Lanka. Its area is 1906.3 km². The capital of the district is Kandy.- Demographics :...

in 1992, 26 were from Dharmaraja College. Based on 1999 A/L results about 35 Rajans entered the faculty of medicine, while the number entered the faculty of engineering in local universities is about 25. In addition, students from Dharmaraja College have performed well at the national Science Olympiads including Sri Lankan Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad

Sri Lankan Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad

The Sri Lankan Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad is a competition for Sri Lankan high school students on Astronomy and Astrophysics. It is the highest and the only government sponsored competition in the field of Astronomy, in Sri Lanka.-History:...

. 7 out of the 15 students selected to the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics

International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics

The International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics is an annual astronomy competition for high school students. It is one of the international science olympiads....

for years 2007, 2008 and 2009 were from Dharmaraja College. Dharmaraja College Celebrated their 110th anniversary with a grand educational exhibition in 1997.

Extra-curricular and sport activities

Dharmaraja College Scouts were continuously selected as the best in the nation, while college cadet platoon and two bands (western and eastern) were mostly among the best three in their respective categories if not the winners at Sri Lanka national school level. The 1st Dharmaraja scout troop became the first Sri Lankan scout troop to conduct an expedition into the Himalayas

Himalayas

The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...

, in 2007. This expedition was conducted to commemorate 100 years of Scouting

Scouting

Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....

, which Rajans scouts celebrated on top of the Lantang Lirung Glacier. Rajans cadets have secured Herman Loos cup, the national school championship, for several years between 1990 and 2000. All three platoons (cadets, eastern band and western band) became national runner-ups in their respective competitions in 1998. Many years, college athletic team was the champions at Kandy district and central province levels. Dharmaraja under17 athletics team was the national school champions in 1996. College soccer teams were among the best among school teams and under 19 team was the winners of the Milo Inter Schools Football tournament, the biggest soccer championship at school level, in 1998. Another sport that gave Rajans success is hokey. Dharmaraja College managed to remain national school champions for a couple years. Many old Rajan ruggerites, such as Indrajith Bandaranike and Radika Hettiarchchi, from this decade later were leading in Sri Lanka national team and local club teams (e.g. Kandy Sports Club). Badminton and Chess teams of Dharmaraja college had managed to be among the best in national school chess teams consistently. College weight lifting and power liftting team owned the national open titles and Sri Lanka weight lifting records during this time. One member of this team, old Rajan (99 A/L batch) P.K. Navindra Dayan later represented Sri Lanka at international level and won a silver medal at the 2006 South Asian Games. Boxing was restarted in Dharmaraja College and Rajan boxers won at national level and one such player who enjoyed success at school level, Gamini Kumara, later represented Sri Lanka at the South Asian Games in 1999 and won a silver medal.

Societies at Dharmaraja were out performing many other schools during this decade. Kala Ulela (arts festival) annually organized by College Art Society (Sinhala: 'Kala Sangamaya') was founded and became a nationally recognized event. Dancing team of Dharmaraja college had the largest number of qualified traditional dancers and college painters were consistently wining at national and international school levels. Student painters of Dharmaraja College played a major role in preservation and restoration work at Temple of the Tooth

Temple of the Tooth

Sri Dalada Maligawa or The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the royal palace complex which houses the Relic of the tooth of Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is...

after 1998 terrorist attack under the guidance of Kingsley Gunathilake, a renowned Sri Lankan painter. Buddhist Student Society (Sinhala: Bouddha Shishya Sangamaya), the largest student body in the school, expanded their events to other schools too. Dharmaraja Interact club and Drug Prevention Units were highly active during this period. Many of the district and national level school leaders of these areas were produced by Dharmaraja College.

Recent developments

Dharmaraja College archives was established extending the college museum in 2002 and its internet database is in operation since January 2009. College grounds renovation and expansion project, and college swimming pool projects are present notable projects.

Students

Presently there are about 4,500 students studying in Dharmaraja College. About 1000 of them are in the primary section that consists of classes grade 1 to 5. Each of the grades have 4 classes. Middle section has 6 classes per grade with added two classes by admitting students scored highest marks in year 5 scholarship exam. Classes from grade 6 to 11 are in the middle section. To get admitted to advanced level section, students have to score sufficiently enough grades in G.C.E. Ordinary Level (O/L) Examination held island wide for students in grade 11. Certain percentage of students are admitted from other schools based on their performance in O/L exam. Usually a class in middle and promary sections occupy 30 to 40 students. There are four sections in advanced level section:
1. Arts Section (Per grade 2 classes of 30 students)
2. Bio-Science Section (Per grade 3 classes of 30 students)
3. Commerce Section (Per grade 2 classes of 30 students)
4. Mathematics Section (Per grade 3 classes of 30 students)
Students spend two years ( in grades 12 and 13) preparing for the university entrance exam, G.C.E. Advanced Level (A/L) Examination.

Staff of teachers

Staff of teachers of Dharmaraja College consist of about 175 qualified teachers headed by the College Principal, three Deputy Principals and an Assistant Principal. In addition, each section has a sectional head. Some staff members have undertaken additional responsibilities such as master in charge of sport teams and student societies. There are other members attached to the library, computer labs and athletic departments.

Board of prefects

Apart from the college academic staff, a selected group of students have been given the power and authority to exercise school discipline, as required. The board of prefects wear a college crest distinctive from other students, and the color of the crest differs, depending on each category of prefects. In addition they wear the college tie when they are on their prefect duties. Prefects are selected to the board based on their academic performances, discipline, extra-curricular activity involvement, and sport achievements. To become a part of board of prefect, a student must be in grade 12 or 13, meet a strict criteria and complete a week-long extensive leadership training course. During the entire of the leadership training applicants remain in school premises and everything they do during their stay is considered in the selection process.

Head Prefect: the leader of the board of prefects and all the students at school. He is officially appointed from amongst the senior prefects by the staff of teachers but preference of board of prefects and other students is taken into account in an informal manner. The selection is mainly based on his overall performances as a student and a prefect, while leadership qualities and other personal traits are given a major consideration. College head prefect is assisted with his duties by two deputy head prefects, who are selected in a similar fashion.
Head and deputy head prefects are easily identified by two gold coloured tags reading "HEAD"/"DEPUTY HEAD" and "PREFECT" hung at the bottom of a typical crest of a senior prefect. In addition a gold coloured horizontal bar is fixed towards the top of the crest and gold coloured chains are attached; two chains for the head prefect and one for a deputy head prefect.
Senior Prefect: Top 40 among college students, the most senior and responsible group of members of the college board of prefects. Selected set of prefects are promoted as senior prefects on a permanent basis at the beginning of grade 13, and their term of duty ends three months after completing (GCE Advanced Level
Advanced Level (SL)
The Sri Lankan Advanced Level , is a General Certificate of Education qualification in Sri Lanka, conducted by the Department of Examinations of the Ministry of Education. Similar to the British Advanced Level...

) exam, at school. Since they are the oldest students of the college at the time, their authority extends to all students of the school. They play a major role in leading and organizing the school activities and maintaining the student decipline.
Senior Prefects wear a college crest of its actual colors - Blue, Maroon and Yellow. They wear navy blue blazers as part of their ceremonial suit.
Prefect: consists of students from grade 12. End of grade 12 they can either apply for a senior prefect position or their assignment will be over. In general, if not for a major disciplinary concern, most of the applicants are promoted. These applications are also considered in selection of the head and two deputy head prefects. Junior prefects play a significant role in assisting the senior prefects in exercising discipline in the school.
Prefects wear a gold college crest and are uniquely entitled to dress in an all-white suit (white coat) at ceremonial occasions.

Non-Board Prefects

Selected set of junior students are appointed as non-board prefects to assist the staff of teachers in the middle and primary sections. They play a limited role at the capacity of a prefect and their disciplinary powers are strictly limited to the respective sections.

Junior Prefect: consists of students from grade 9. They assist the staff of teachers and board of prefects with activities involving the middle section (grades 6, 7, 8 & 9). Two students from each grade 9 class are appointed to the pool of junior prefects according to the student votes of the corresponding class.
Primary Prefect: consists of students from grade 5 to assist the staff of teachers with the activities in the primary section (grades 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5). A head prefect and two deputy head prefects are appointed amongst primary prefects by the teachers of the primary section.

Facilities

Being a national school, Dharmaraja college is equipped with best facilities among schools. Recent mega projects with help of Sri Lankan government, old boys and well-wishers, addressed some important issues such as expansion of school grounds and building of the swimming pool.

Facilities at Dharmaraja includes;

Auditorium
Swimming pool
College ground
Badminton Facility
Weight lifting and body building facility

Computing facilities (three computer laboratories)
Chemistry Laboratories
Physics Laboratories
Biology Laboratories

Hostel
Archives
Recreational Art facilities
Scouting facilities

Important annual events at Dharmaraja College

Event Name	Organizers	Description
Inter-House Sport Meet and Annual Marathon.	Sport Council, Board of Prefects and Staff of teachers	Sport competitions held among houses
Scouts' Parents and Old Scouts Day	1st Kandy Dharmaraja Scout Group	Annual award ceremony of college scouts
Olcott Day	Buddhist Student Society	Inter-school oral, written and painting competitions followed by 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.... memorial program held on August 2.
Prize Giving	Staff of Teachers and Board of Prefects	Previous year academic performance is appreciated. Highest award of this event is the Best All-Rounder Medal.
Installation Ceremony	Board of Prefects	Installation ceremony of board of Prefects. Install Prefect badges (college crest) to students, who have selected as Prefects.
Colors Nite	Staff of Teachers, Sports Council and Board of Prefects	Previous year's performance in sports is appreciated. Highest awards of this event are the Dagaba awards.
Kala Ulela (Arts Festival)	Art Foundation	A national level arts festival. Previous year performance is appreciated. Highest award of this event is the Prasada Sammana awards.
Vesak Related Activities	Buddhist Student Society and various students groups	Set of activities such as damma talks, sil observation, daana (alms givings), decorative work including famous 'thorana' of dageba shape and 'bakthi geetha' (deovtions) present by college eastern music group.
Big Match	Staffs of teachers and boards of prefects of Dharmaraja and Kingswood Kingswood College (Sri Lanka) Kingswood College is a school which offers primary and secondary education. It was started on Pavilion Street in Kandy, Sri Lanka with 11 students. Later the school was moved to "Randles Hills" at Peradeniya Road. Since then, the school has grown up to 3500 students and 200 faculty. The school was... Colleges.
Annual Astronomy Workshop	Astronomical Society	Combination activities such as lectures by professionals in the field, sky observation, quiz competitions and sky observation competitions.
Science Day	Science Society	A series of activities ranging from lectures by senior academics, through science related dramas, to a inter-school science quiz competition.
Commerce Day	Commerce Society	A series of lectures and competitions held between inter-colleagues and inter-school Advanced Level students related to commerce-subjects.
Drugs Prevention Day	Dharmaraja Drugs Prevention Unit	Drug prevention activities are held in school, in Kandy town and at close schools with the help of other schools in Kandy.
Committee Installation Ceremony	Interact Club of Dharmaraja College	Appoint the newly elected committee of Interact club and the President of Rotary Club should be invited.
Computer Day	Computer Club	A series of events ranging from lectures by senior academics, inter-school competitions to workshops by computer-related organizations.
English Literacy Day	English Literacy Society	Similar to Commerce day, a series of competitions between colleagues, aesthetic events such as dances, songs, and lectures to improve English language 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... of students.

House system

There are 4 houses in British style which are used for sporting events:

Ananda House
- Colours: light blue and dark blue

Mahinda House
- Colours: yellow and dark blue

Parakrama House
- Colours: white and dark blue

Gemunu House
- Colours: white and red

Sports

Sports play a dominant role in the school's regular activities,apart from the academics. The Dharmaraja–Kingswood Cricket Encounter (aka Battle of the Maroons),being the oldest of its sort in Kandy with a history dating back to 1893, and the annual Cross-country Marathon are much anticipated events of the college fixtures.

Sports played at Dharmaraja includes;

Athletics
Badminton
Baseball
Bodybuilding
Boxing
Chess

Cricket
Cycling
Gymnastics
Hockey
Karate
Rugby Football

Soccer
Swimming
Table Tennis
Tennis
Volleyball

Dharmaraja-Kingswood cricket encounter

Cricket was played at the school from its beginning. The annual cricket

Cricket

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...

match against the school's traditional rival

Sports rivalry

A sports rivalry is intense competition between athletic teams or athletes. This pressure of competition is felt by players, coaches, and management, but is perhaps felt strongest by the fans. The intensity of the rivalry varies from a friendly competition on one end to serious violence on the...

, Kingswood College, Kandy

Kingswood College (Sri Lanka)

Kingswood College is a school which offers primary and secondary education. It was started on Pavilion Street in Kandy, Sri Lanka with 11 students. Later the school was moved to "Randles Hills" at Peradeniya Road. Since then, the school has grown up to 3500 students and 200 faculty. The school was...

is the longest cricket match series in the central province, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

. Out of those outings so far, Rajans lead the tally with 31 wins against 19 by Kingswood while 53 matches ending in a draw.

Dharmaraja College registered a historic win over Kingswood College on 26 March 2011 at the Pallekale Cricket International stadium in Kandy.

Annual educational trip

Two annual educational trips are organized for primary school and middle school students. These are aiming at giving a chance of visiting historically and nationally important places to the students. Further, many students make use of this as a chance of enjoying and interacting.

Clubs and societies

At Dharmaraja College there is much encouragement for the formation of institutions of extracurricular activities since its early days. Today there are over 50 clubs and societies of different kinds.

Some of these are;

Adventure Club
Archaeological Society
Archives Society
Arts Foundation
Astronomical Society (ASDRC)
Buddhist Students' Association
Commerce and Economics Society
Co-operative Society
Dancing Troupe
Drama club
Drug Prevention Unit
Educational Counseling and Career Guidance Unit

Electricity and Electronics Society
English Literary and Drama Association (ELDA)
General Knowledge and Quiz Club (GKQC)
Interact Club
Media Unit
National Savings Bank
Nature & youth exploration Club
Old Rajans' Astronomical Society (ORAS)
Old Rajans' Scout Association
Old Hostelers' Society

Oriental Music Group
Philatelic Society
Photographic Society
Rajans' Audio Technica (RAT)
Science Association
Senior Debating Forum
Sinhala Literary Association
Society of Information & Technology
Sports Council
Suwa Sewa Health Care Unit
Western Music Unit
Young Inventors' Club

Past principals

Andiris De Silva (1887–1890)
Sir D.B. Jayatilaka
Don Baron Jayatilaka
Sir Don Baron Jayatilaka was a Sri Lankan educationalist, politician and diplomat....

(1890–1898)
H. Banbury (1898–1899)
Wilton Hack (1899)
C.S. Rajaratnam (1899–1902)
K.F. Billimoria (1902–1932)
P. de S. Kularatne
P. de S. Kularatne
Patrick de Silva Kularatne was a educationist and politician of Sri Lanka. He established Nalanda College, Ananda Balika, Moratuwa Vidyalaya and Pannipitiya Vidyalaya...

(1932–1936)
L.H. Mettananda (1936–1945)
S.A. Wijayathilake (1945–1955)
Charles Godage (1955–1959)
D.B. Thewarapperuma (1959–1961)
Col. E.A. Perusinghe (1961–1964)
Col. S.L.B.Amaranayake (1964–1971)
D.G.B. Samarajiva (1971–1973)
A.P. Gunaratne (1973–1987)
U.B. Herath (1987–1988)
Nihal Herath (1988–1990)
T.B. Damunupola (1990–1995)
W.M. Bandaranayake (1995–1998)
A.B. Herath (1998–2000)
S.M. Keerthiratne (2001–present)

Old Rajans

In her history of 122 years, Dharmaraja College has produced a number of prominent figures, in many aspects of society, while the highest ranking official amongst the Old Rajans being President William Gopallawa

William Gopallawa

- The first President of Sri Lanka

President of Sri Lanka

The President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the elected head of state and the head of government. The President is a dominant political figure in Sri Lanka. The office was created in 1978 but has grown so powerful there have been calls to restrict or even eliminate its power...

and the last Governor-General of Ceylon

Governor-General of Ceylon

The Governor-General of Ceylon was the representative of the Ceylonese monarch, and head of state, who held the title of Queen of Ceylon from 1948 when the country became independent as a Dominion until the country became the republic of Sri Lanka in 1972.-Role:The monarch, on the advice of the...

.

Many political leaders with the likes of A. E. Goonesinha

A. E. Goonesinha

(First Labor leader of Ceylon), A. Ratnayaka

A. Ratnayaka

Abeyratne Ratnayaka was a Sri Lankan politician. He was the first Cabinet Minister of Food, Co-operatives and Home Affairs in independent Ceylon and the last President of the Senate of Ceylon, a Member of Parliament & State Council. He received his primary education at Dharmaraja College Kandy...

(Member of the first Cabinet of Ceylon and last President of the Senate of Ceylon

Senate of Ceylon

The Senate of Ceylon was the upper chamber of the parliament of Ceylon established in 1947 by the Soulbury Commission. The Senate was appointed/indirectly elected rather than directly elected. The Senate was housed in the old Legislative Council building in Colombo Fort and met for the first time...

), Janaka Bandara Tennakoon

Janaka Bandara Tennakoon

Janaka Bandara Tennakoon is a Sri Lankan politician and a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. He's currently the Minister of Lands and Land Development. He was educated at Dharmaraja College, Kandy.-References:...

(Cabinet Minister of Local Government and Provincial Councils) and Lalith Dissanayake

Lalith Dissanayake

Lalith Chandra Buddhisiri Dissanayake is a Sri Lankan politician, a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka and a government minister. He is an alumnus of Dharmaraja College.-References:...

(Deputy Minister of Health) were educated at Dharmaraja College.

The college's alumni also includes Stanley Wijesundera

Stanley Wijesundera

Stanley Wijesundera was a Sri Lankan academic. A Professor of Chemistry, he was the first Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo from 1979 to 1989 and was the Chairman of the Association of Commonwealth Universities from 1983 to 1984....

(Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo

University of Colombo

The University of Colombo is a public research university located primarily in Colombo, Sri Lanka...

), J B Disanayake

J B Disanayake

Deshamanya Jayaratna Banda Dissanayake is an Emeritus Professor and one of the leading authorities of the Sinhala Language. He is currently Sri Lankan Ambassador to Thailand...

(Leading authority of the Sinhala Language), Sunanda Mahendra

Sunanda Mahendra

Sunanda Mahendra’s Ogha Tharanaya won the State Literary Award for the bestSinhala poetry collection, 2006. Many poems from thecollection are now translated into English. He has won the State...

(Dept. of Mass Communication Kelaniya University), Anuradha Seneviratna

Anuradha Seneviratna

Prof. Anuradha Seneviratna was a renowned Sri Lankan scholar. He wrote many scholarary works and he was a Senior Professor in the Department of Sinhala, University of Peradeniya. He has also worked in University of Colombo and was the Director of the Institute of Aesthetic Studies...

(Dept. of Sinhala University of Peradeniya

University of Peradeniya

The University of Peradeniya is a world renowned state university in Sri Lanka, funded by the University Grants Commission...

), Ananda W.P. Guruge (Vice president of the World Fellowship of Buddhists

World Fellowship of Buddhists

The World Fellowship of Buddhists is an international Buddhist organization. It was founded in 1950 in Colombo, Sri Lanka by representatives from 27 nations...

), Wimalaratne Kumaragama

Wimalaratne Kumaragama

Wimalaratne Kumaragama is a prominent Sri Lankan poet, of the Colombo era. A Divisional Revenue Officer by profession, his poems were centred round Wanni,and the people of Wanni. They emanate the life of the villagers and its characters, surroundings, environment, animals and their experiences...

(Great sinhala poet), Dharmasena Pathiraja

Dharmasena Pathiraja

Dharmasena Pathiraja is a Sri Lankan film director andscreenwriter.- Early life :Educated at Dharmaraja College, Kandy,Pathiraja graduated from the University of Peradeniya with an honours degree in Sinhala and Western Classical Culture in 1967. Subsequently he began work as a lecturer in Drama...

(Acclaimed Film Director), Chamara Kapugedera

Chamara Kapugedera

Chamara Kantha Kapugedera is a Sri Lankan cricketer.Kapugedera made his first-class debut in a match for Sri Lanka A and in domestic cricket, he plays for Colombo Cricket Club....

(Sri Lanka test cricketer) and Prof.

Professor

A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...

Dhammika Ganganath Dissanayake; former Chairman of Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation.

Notable masters

Most venerable Bogoda Seelawimala Nayaka Thera
Bogoda Seelawimala Nayaka Thera
Ven Bogoda Seelawimala Nayaka Thera is the incumbent Head Priest of the London Buddhist Vihara and the current Chief Sangha Nayaka of Great Britain. He was appointed Chief Bhikkhu of the London Buddhist Vihara on 8 May 2008 following the demise of Ven Dr Medagama Vajiragnana Nayaka Thera...

- Incumbent Head Priest of the London Buddhist Vihara
London Buddhist Vihara
The London Buddhist Vihara is one of the main Theravada Buddhist temples in the United Kingdom. The Vihara was the first Sri Lankan Buddhist monastery to be established outside Asia....

and the current Chief Sangha Nayaka of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

.
Most venerable Mahopadyaya Aluthgama Dhammananda thera - Senior member, Karaka Sangha Sabha, Malwatte Chapter.
Sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...

D.B.Jayathilake
Don Baron Jayatilaka
Sir Don Baron Jayatilaka was a Sri Lankan educationalist, politician and diplomat....
Dr.
Doctor (title)
Doctor, as a title, originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb docēre . It has been used as an honored academic title for over a millennium in Europe, where it dates back to the rise of the university. This use spread...

T.B.Jayah
Tuan Burhanudeen Jayah
Dr.Tuan Burhanuddin Jayah was born in Galagedara on 01st of January 1890. was a Sri Lankan educationalist, politician, and diplomat. He studied at St. Paul's College, Kandy and St Thomas' College Mt. Lavinia and received his degree from the University of London in 1913 and joined Dharmaraja...

.
S.A. Wijayathilake
Harischandra Wijayatunga
Harischandra Wijayatunga
Wijayatunga Mudalige Harischandra Wijayatunga is a Sri Lankan author, translator, lexicographer, teacher, lawyer and politician. He held various offices in different institutions of the Government of Sri Lanka. At present he is the leader of Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Bhoomiputra Party...
Donald Silva
D.J.A.Perera
Mrs Kurian

External links

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