East-West Group Corr.
The 88th birth anniversary of Ven. Pandit Ahangama Panngnaloka, the founder of Vajirarama in Wellawatte and its educational institution was commemorated at Vajirarama Vihara recently. Ven. Ahangama Ananda, Nayaka Thera, Viharadhipathi Vajirarama and second pupil of the late prelate organised a sanghika dana and other religious ceremonies to mark his beloved teacher’s birthday.

Ven. Weligama Gnanarathane, Anunayaka Thera of the Dharmarakshita Chapter of the Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya addressed the members of the public and the devotees present on the occasion.

He said that Ven. Pandit Ahangama Panngnaloka was not only an eminent scholar of Sinhala, Pali, Sanskrit and Buddhism but also a great teacher and preacher of the Buddhist doctrine because he had comprehended it so well and had a deep desire to teach it to others with a sense of commitment. There were Christians, Hindus and Muslims who came to hear his sermons and learn Sinhala from him. There were several non-Buddhists of the Western Province who learnt Sinhala from him. In his day he was acclaimed by many scholars as a sound exponent of the Buddha’s doctrine.

On the day that Japanese fighter planes were dropping bombs in and around the city of Colombo, during the Second World War, Ven. Panngaloka was preaching the doctrine of compassion of the Buddha over the then Radio Ceylon in Colombo. Such was his devotion to the doctrine and the desire to preach it to the people.

At that time there were two eminent preachers of the doctrine over Radio Ceylon. One was Ven. Panngnaloka, the founder of Vajirarama in Wellawatte and the other the Ven. Pelene Vajiragnana Mahanayake Thera, the founder of Vijayarama in Bambalapitiya.

Ven. Pandit Panngnaloka was a lecturer at the Devundara Girihela Vihara Pirirvena famous in history from the time of king Dapulusen I. Of course the pirivena in its history assumed different names at different times; such as Nandana Pirivena, Tilaka Pirivena etc. In the latter stages it was known as Dharmarakshita Pirivena when Ven. Panngnaloka was a lecturer.

In his own home town Ahangama, Ven. Panngnaloka founded the "Siddhartha Pirivena’ and later the Vajirarama Vihara in Wellawatte and its education institution.