The 162nd birth anniversary of Anagarika Dharmapala, a central figure in Sri Lanka’s Buddhist revival movement, is being commemorated today, Hiru News reported.
Born on 17 September 1864, Dharmapala became a leading advocate for Buddhist education, cultural revival and social reform. He died on 29 April 1933.
A life’s work
Dharmapala dedicated his life to the revival of Buddhism, the preservation of Sinhala-Buddhist heritage and, in the framing of the report, the advancement of the nation.
He is remembered above all as a pioneering Buddhist leader who played a significant role in restoring Buddhist access to important sacred sites, including Bodh Gaya in India — the place of the Buddha’s enlightenment, which at the time lay outside Buddhist custodianship.
His legacy, Hiru noted, continues to influence Buddhists in Sri Lanka and around the world.
Context
Dharmapala’s campaign at Bodh Gaya is the work most closely associated with his name, and it was pursued from Sri Lanka as an international effort rather than a domestic one — which is why his anniversary is observed well beyond the island. His broader project, the revival of Buddhist institutions and education under colonial rule, shaped the religious and civic landscape that followed independence.
The date falls in a year when the state has been funding restoration at religious sites, including a Rs. 232 million allocation for 144 religious sites damaged by Cyclone Ditwah.
Not reported
The report marks the anniversary without listing any commemorative events, ceremonies or state observances scheduled for the day, and names no officials or institutions taking part. It does not say whether any public programme is planned at the Maha Bodhi Society premises or elsewhere.
