Commemorating 100th birth anniversary of Asoka Weeraratna

The 100th birth anniversary of Asoka Weeraratna will be commemorated at the Mahaweli Centre, Colombo at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, December 12.

Born in Galle, Asoka Weeraratna, played a pioneering role in the dissemination of Buddhism in Germany through the German Dharmaduta Society he founded in 1952. He converted Dr. Paul Dahlke’s Das BuddhistischeHaus in Berlin – Frohnau, into a Buddhist Vihara in 1957 by stationing Buddhist monks on a long term footing to spread Buddhism in the West. He established the Mitirigala Nissarana Vanaya (Mitirigala Forest Hermitage) in 1967 and entered the Order of the Sangha in 1972 as Ven. Mitirigala Dhammanissanti.

A commemorative postage stamp and special commemorative First Day Cover in honour of the birth centenary of Asoka Weeraratna will be issued by the Philatelic Bureau of the Department of Post.

Leading Buddhist monks including Ven. (Dr.) Omalpe Sobitha Thera, Ven. UdaIriyagama Dhammajiva Thera, Chief Preceptor (Mitirigala Nissarana Vanaya), and Buddhist lay leaders such as Jagath Sumathipala, President, All Ceylon Buddhist Congress, Prof. Jayasiri Lankage (President, German Dharmaduta Society) and Senaka Weeraratna (Hony. Secretary, GDS), Ranjith Wickrematilaka (President, Mitirigala Nissarana Vanaya Sanrakshana Sabhawa) and. Hemantha Ranawaka (Secretary, Mitirigala Nissarana Vanaya Sanrakshana Sabhawa) will address the meeting. A short documentary will also be screened.

Recital of poems (Kavi), and a short drama on vegetarianism and the success Ven. Dhammanissanti achieved in lobbying former President R. Premadasa to stop state patronage of inland fisheries in Sri Lanka, will be staged by children from the Bodhiraja Children’s Home, Embilipitiya, a press release from the German Dharmaduta Society said.