Visakha Vidyalaya
  • විශාඛා විද්‍යාලය
  • விசாகா வித்யாலய
Location
Vajira Road

Colombo

Sri Lanka
Coordinates6°53′30″N 79°51′34″E / 6.89167°N 79.85944°E / 6.89167; 79.85944
Information
TypeNational
MottoPali: පඤ්ඤාය පරිසුජ්ඣති
Paññāya Parisujjhati
(By wisdom is one cleansed)
Religious affiliation(s)Buddhist
Established16 January 1917 (1917-01-16)
FounderCelestina Dias
PrincipalManomi Senevirathne
Staff300+
GradesGrade 1 - 13
GenderGirls
Age6 to 19
Enrolment6000+
LanguageSinhala, English
Color(s)Gold and blue
   
AlumniVisakhians
Websitehttps://visakhavidyalaya.lk/

Visakha Vidyalaya (Sinhala: විශාඛා විද්‍යාලය) is a girls' school in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is a National School managed by the central government providing primary and secondary education.

History

The school was established in 1917 by Celestina Dias as the Buddhist Girls College in a house called 'The Firs' in Turret Road, Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was the desire of Dias to train the school girls according to the Buddhist moral values and principles. In 1927 it moved to its present premises in Vajira Road, Colombo and was named Visakha Vidyalaya by Lady Herbert Stanley the wife of the Governor of Ceylon at that time. In 1939 the school was affiliated with Lady Irwin College, New Delhi to conduct courses in Home economics.[1] Science subjects were introduced to the curriculum in 1946, for the first time in a girls' school in Sri Lanka.

Founder Celestina Dias

School motto

The school's motto is from the Alavaka Sutta in the Sutta Pitaka of the Tripitaka. When the yakkha Alavaka first confronted Buddha, he threatened to exterminate Buddha unless he, Buddha were to answer all his questions. One of the questions asked was "Kathansu Parisujjhati" (how is one cleansed) to which Buddha replied, "Paññaya Parisujjhati" (by wisdom is one cleansed).

Houses

All the current house names are derived from the names of four past principals of the school, Jeremias Dias the founder of the school, and Sir Don Baron Jayatilaka, who was once the patron of the school. There are six houses at Visakha:

House Name House Colours
Dawes Yellow and green

   

Dias Red and black

   

Jayatilake Blue and yellow

   

Motwani Orange and black

   

Pulimood Purple and gold

   

Weerasooriya Light blue and black

   

Past principals

Name Entered office Departed office
Bernice T. Banning
Jan. 1917
Dec. 1917
J. Ganguli
Jan. 1918
Mar. 1920
H. Westbrook
Mar. 1920
Jan. 1921
D. C. Devereaux
Feb. 1921
May 1922
E. L. Fletcher
May 1922
May 1924
G. H. Pearse (Acting)
May 1924
May 1925
S. E. Lowe
May 1925
Sept.1926
G. H. Pearse
Sept.1926
Apr. 1933
MacDonald (Act.)
May 1933
Jun. 1933
C. L. Motwani
Jun. 1933
Apr. 1945
S. G. Pulimood
May 1945
Jul. 1967
H. S. Jayasinghe
Jul. 1967
Jun. 1983
S. E. Siriwardhana
July 1983
Dec. 1987
M. N. Edussuriya
Jan. 1988
Oct. 1999
R. M. L. Jayasekara
Oct. 1999
Nov. 2001
M. D. I. N. Siriwardhana
Nov. 2001
July 2003
R. N. Amarasinghe
July 2003
July 2007
C. R. Gunarathne
July 2007
Oct. 2008
B. M. Weerasooriya
Oct. 2008
Dec 2008
Sandamali Aviruppola
Dec. 2008
Nov. 2021
Manomi Senevirathne
Jan. 2022
present

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Clara Motwani". ancestry.com.
  2. ↑ "FERNANDO, W.D. - Family #3033". worldgenweb.org. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  3. ↑ "Join the VVOGA to save Oshadie's life! | Visakha Vidyalaya". www.visakhav.org. Retrieved 2020-10-20.
  4. ↑ "Stuck in an old car - Sachini Nipunsala". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
  5. ↑ "Blend of love, stardom and business". The Sunday Observer. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  6. ↑ "The portrait of a Rebel fashion designer". Daily News(Sri Lanka). 14 March 2007. Archived from the original on 16 February 2008.
  7. ↑ Malalasekera, Sarath (8 February 2012). "Justice Deepali Wijesundera, always focused on duty". daily news.lk. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
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