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Visakha Vidyalaya (Sinhala: විශාඛා විද්යාලය, Tamil: விசாகா வித்தியாலயம்) is a girls' school in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is a National School managed by the central government providing primary and secondary education.
Visakha Vidyalaya
| |
|---|---|
| Location | |
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Vajira Road | |
| Coordinates | 6°53′30″N 79°51′34″E / 6.89167°N 79.85944°E |
| Information | |
| Type | National |
| Motto | Pali: පඤ්ඤාය පරිසුජ්ඣති Paññāya Parisujjhati (By wisdom is one cleansed) |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Buddhist |
| Established | 16 January 1917 |
| Founder | Celestina Dias |
| Principal | Manomi Senevirathne |
| Staff | 300+ |
| Grades | Grade 1 - 13 |
| Gender | Girls |
| Age | 6 to 19 |
| Enrolment | 6000+ |
| Language | Sinhala, English |
| Color(s) | Gold and blue |
| Alumni | Visakhians |
| Website | http://www.visakhav.org/ |
History
editThe 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.
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School motto
editThe 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
editAll 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
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| Dias | Red and black
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| Jayatilake | Blue and yellow
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| Motwani | Orange and black
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| Pulimood | Purple and gold
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| Weerasooriya | Light blue and black
|
Past principals
edit| Name | Entered office | Departed office |
|---|---|---|
| Bernice T. Banning | Jan. 1917
|
Dec. 1917
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| J. Ganguli | Jan. 1918
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Mar. 1920
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| H. Westbrook | Mar. 1920
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Jan. 1921
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| D. C. Devereaux | Feb. 1921
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May 1922
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| E. L. Fletcher | May 1922
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May 1924
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| G. H. Pearse (Acting) | May 1924
|
May 1925
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| S. E. Lowe | May 1925
|
Sept.1926
|
| G. H. Pearse | Sept.1926
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Apr. 1933
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| MacDonald (Act.) | May 1933
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Jun. 1933
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| C. L. Motwani | Jun. 1933
|
Apr. 1945
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| S. G. Pulimood | May 1945
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Jul. 1967
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| H. S. Jayasinghe | Jul. 1967
|
Jun. 1983
|
| S. E. Siriwardhana | July 1983
|
Dec. 1987
|
| M. N. Edussuriya | Jan. 1988
|
Oct. 1999
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| R. M. L. Jayasekara | Oct. 1999
|
Nov. 2001
|
| M. D. I. N. Siriwardhana | Nov. 2001
|
July 2003
|
| R. N. Amarasinghe | July 2003
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July 2007
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| C. R. Gunarathne | July 2007
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Oct. 2008
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| B. M. Weerasooriya | Oct. 2008
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Dec 2008
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| Sandamali Aviruppola | Dec. 2008
|
Nov. 2021
|
| Manomi Senevirathne | Jan. 2022
|
present
|
Notable alumni
edit- Kusala Abhayavardhana, social worker and member of parliament - Borella (1970-77)[2]
- Senali Fonseka, actress [citation needed]
- Kshanika Hirimburegama, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Colombo[citation needed]
- Oshadie Kuruppu, Sri Lankan badminton player[3]
- Kamini Nirmala Mendis, professor emeritus at the University of Colombo and former malaria expert at the World Health Organization
- Sachini Nipunsala, TV presenter, dancer [4]
- Sabeetha Perera, film actress[5]
- Sumitra Peries, filmmaker and Sri Lanka's Ambassador to France[citation needed]
- Hirunika Premachandra, politician[citation needed]
- Jayathri Samarakone, Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Singapore
- Inoka Sathyangani, film director and producer[citation needed]
- Ruchira Silva, fashion designer[6]
- Deepali Wijesundera, Judge of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka[7]
- Ganga Seneviratne, Sri Lankan national swimmer
- Yohani de Silva, singer
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Clara Motwani". ancestry.com.
- ^ "FERNANDO, W.D. - Family #3033". worldgenweb.org. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- ^ "Join the VVOGA to save Oshadie's life! | Visakha Vidyalaya". www.visakhav.org. Retrieved 2020-10-20.
- ^ "Stuck in an old car - Sachini Nipunsala". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
- ^ "Blend of love, stardom and business". The Sunday Observer. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- ^ "The portrait of a Rebel fashion designer". Daily News(Sri Lanka). 14 March 2007. Archived from the original on 16 February 2008.
- ^ Malalasekera, Sarath (8 February 2012). "Justice Deepali Wijesundera, always focused on duty". daily news.lk. Retrieved 8 March 2017.