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Sri Sumangala Thero, born in 1827, and was ordained at the age of nine. He studied at Parama Dhamma Chethiya Pirivena and later became its Chief-Incumbent. He also served as the Chief Incumbent of Sri Pada and founded the Gangarama Temple as well as Maligakanda Vidyodaya Pirivena. He played a crucial role in the Panadura debate and left behind a significant legacy in Buddhism and education.
Chief Incumbent
1868 - 1870
Sri Sumangala Thero, born in 1827, and was ordained at the age of nine. He studied at Parama Dhamma Chethiya Pirivena and later became its Chief-Incumbent.
He also served as the Chief Incumbent of Sri Pada and founded the Gangarama Temple as well as Maligakanda Vidyodaya Pirivena. He played a crucial role in the Panadura debate and left behind a significant legacy in Buddhism and education.
Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thero was born Don Niculus Gunawardhana on January 20, 1827, into the family of Don Johannes Abeyweera Gunawardhana Maha Liyana Arachchi Ralahamy and his wife, Dandangoda Gamage Christina Hamine, in Hettigoda, Hikkaduwa, located in the Galle District. As the fifth child in his family, young Niculus received his early education in Sinhala and Pali at the Hettigoda Thilakarama temple, where he was fortunate to study under the guidance of Ven. Hikkaduwe Sobitha Nayaka Thero and Ven. Mabotuwana Revata Nayaka Thero.
At the age of nine, he was ordained at Hikkaduwa under the guidance of Arungamuwe Rewatha Thero of Thotagamuwa Raja Maha Vihara, receiving the Dharma name “Hikkaduwe Sumangala.” From an early age, he exhibited remarkable eloquence as a speaker and was also an adept writer.
Four years after his ordination, he furthered his education under Ven. Pannamgoda Jethuthara Thero and Ven. Bowala Dhammananda Thero. He gained proficiency in English from John Coranelis Abayawardana, a well-known scholar in the area. In 1844, the responsibility of Samanera Sumangala was entrusted to the Most Ven. Walane Sri Siddartha Thero. Following this, he became one of the first seventeen students at the prestigious Parama Dhamma Chethiya Maha Pirivena in Rathmalana. His thirst for knowledge led him to study Sanskrit and subjects such as logic under a Brahmin named Kashinatha.
In 1848, Hikkaduwe Sumangala Thero received the higher ordination of Upasampada from the Malwatte Chapter in Kandy. During his time at the Parama Dhamma Chethiya Maha Pirivena, he shared the space with contemporaries such as Ratmalane Sri Dharmaloka Thero. After achieving this significant milestone, he served as a teacher at various esteemed institutions, including the Parama Dhamma Chethiya Pirivena, Hikkaduwe Thilakaramaya, Bogahawatte Sudarshana Paramananda Viharaya, and Kotahene Paramananda Viharaya.
In 1864, Hikkaduwe Sumangala Thero was appointed as the Chief Priest of Sri Paada (Adam's Peak), the revered holy mountain of Sri Lanka. This significant appointment solidified his status as the foremost Buddhist monk in the country.
After Walane Sri Siddhartha Maha Thero’s demise, Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Maha Thero became the Chief Incumbent of Parama Dhamma Chetiya Pirivena. From 1868 to 1870, he filled the gap left by Siddhartha Thero, providing Dharma education to both lay and monastic students. However, as Buddhist influence in the capital was waning, he accepted an invitation from the Buddhist elites in Colombo and founded the Maligakande Vidyodaya Pirivena in 1873, which later became an internationally renowned Buddhist institute.
Despite his new responsibilities, Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Maha Thero maintained his connection with Parama Dhamma Chetiya Maha Pirivena. He regarded Ratmalana Parama Dhamma Chetiya as an ideal place for training promising young novice monks and often directed them to Parama Dhamma Chetiya Pirivena to study Dhamma.
Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thero was proficient in Sinhala, Pali, Sanskrit, and English, and he possessed extensive knowledge of Buddhism, history, arithmetic, and archaeology. He authored numerous books on these subjects and emerged as a leading figure in the Baddegama debate (Baddegamawadaya) held in 1865 and Panadura debate (Panadurawadaya) held in 1873. Following this pivotal debate, Colonel Henry Steele Olcott visited Sri Lanka, inspired by its reports. Under the guidance of Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thero, Colonel Olcott embraced Buddhism and Pali, receiving mentorship that helped him establish several Buddhist schools in Sri Lanka, including Ananda College in Colombo (1886), Dharmaraja College in Kandy (1887), and Mahinda College in Galle (1892). It was also in the presence of Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thero that C.W. Leadbeater, an influential member of the Theosophical Society, recited the Three Refuges and the Five Precepts, marking his conversion to Buddhism.
In 1885, with the generous donation of land in Hunupitiya, Colombo, by H.L. De Mel, a non-Buddhist, Sri Sumangala Thero was able to establish the Gangarama Temple. He also took the significant step of bringing a branch of the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi from Anuradhapura to plant it within the temple grounds for worship. As the chief monk of Gangarama Temple, he dedicated his life to nurturing the spiritual community. Upon his passing, he was succeeded by Rev. Devundara Sri Jinarathana Thero, who continued his legacy.
Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thero served as the chairman of the "Colombo Committee," which designed the Buddhist flag in 1885. This distinguished committee included notable figures such as Ven. Migettuwatte Gunananda Thero, as well as the father and grandfather of Srimath Anagarika Dharmapāla, among others. The flag was first publicly hoisted on Vesak Day, May 28, 1885, at the Dipaduttamarama in Kotahena, by Ven. Migettuwatte Gunananda Thero. This event marked the first public holiday for Vesak under British rule, celebrating the rich heritage of Buddhism in Sri Lanka.
Sri Sumangala Thero was a trailblazer in Buddhist newspaper journalism in Sri Lanka. He founded the newspaper "Lankaloka," and subsequently assisted the local Buddhist community in publishing other notable papers such as "Sarasavisandaresa" and "Sinhala Bauddhaya." His contributions to Buddhism earned him great honor and recognition, resulting in numerous titles bestowed upon him by Sri Lankans as well as by individuals from various countries in the East and West. Esteemed institutions in Ireland, Italy, Hungary, and Germany also awarded him honorary degrees in recognition of his impactful work.
After dedicating a lifetime of exemplary service to the Buddhism and Sri Lanka, Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Maha Thero passed away on April 29, 1911, at the age of 84. His profound contributions to Buddhism and education continue to inspire countless individuals to this day.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Col._Olcott_and_Ven._Sumangala_Thero.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vidyodaya_pirivena_in_1885.jpg
