Sangharaja Pirivena

During the 17th century, the Buddhist order in Sri Lanka witnessed a period of a serious decadence. There was hardly any difference between the laymen and the monks except for the wearing of robes by the monks. It is in this background that the country witnessed the emergence of a powerful reformist in the personality of Ven. Velivita Asarana Sarana Saranankara. While leading a disciplined life as a Buddhist monk, he managed to acquire a deep knowledge of languages such as Pali, Sinhala and Sanskrit and was able to set up a new organization of monks popularly known as the Silwat Samadgama.

He set up educational institutions at places such as Niyamakanda, Suduhumpola, Nittawela, Ampitiya and Gangarama. In the process, he could enrol monks irrespective of area and caste differences. As he found no monks who had received higher ordination, Saranankara prevailed upon King Kirti Sri Rajasinha to get down monks from Siam (modern Thailand) with the assistance of the Siamese King Parama Dharmika. The outcome of this mission was the arrival of a group of monks headed by Upali Thera and the conduct of the higher ordination in 1753 at the Malwatta Maha Vihara.

Sri Sangharaja-pirivena was established in 1897 to carry forward the mission of Saranankara for the spread of religion and languages. After a very modest beginning, it later developed as a famous seat of religious education for the monks of the three main sects. In 1947, the pirivena received recognition as a government-aided educational institution.

(Heritage of Kandurata by Dr. H.A.P. Abeyawardana P23)

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Sri Sangharaja Maha Pirivena

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