SRI LANKA AMARAPURA MAHA NIKAYA SANGHA SABHA OFFICE NAMED ‘SIR CYRIL DE ZOYSA COMMEMORATION BUILDING’ TO BE DECLARED OPEN SOON

The Office Complex of the Amarapura Maha Nikaya Sangha Sabha soon to be named the ‘Headquarters of the Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya’ located at No.70, Galle Road, Wellawatta, is scheduled to be declared open on the 15th August 2020. This building is by way of the fulfillment of a prime need experienced by this Sangha Sabha from its very inception in Sri Lanka in the year 1803.

The Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya which consists of 22 Chapters, made temporary headquarters out of each particular Vihara or the dwellings of the monk who for the time being held the position of the Supreme Chief or Maha Nayaka and used such Vihara on a temporary basis as the office as well. But henceforth, the Amarapura Maha Nikaya will be able to serve independent of such subsidiary sects and have here in this complex its permanent centre, where both the lay and the ordained – the monks as well as the lay members or the sustainer staff, viz. the Nikayabhivurdhi Sabha – will be able to utilize this building from where they would be able to discharge the administrative duties of the Nikaya.

At the time His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa was the incumbent Executive President of Sri Lanka, a request for the donation of this land located in Wellawatta, was made to him by the Venerable Agga Maha Panditha Mahopadyaya Kotugoda Dhammavasa Mahimi, Supreme Maha Nayaka of the Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya. In response, His Excellency donated this as a sacred offering to be used for the purposes set out here. This administrative building will be declared open by Hon.Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Chief Guest.

The Maha Nayakas of the 22 Chapters of the Amarapura Maha Nikaya, the Chief Lekhakadhikaris of these Chapters, Secretary, Ministry of Buddha Sasana and the Commissioner of Buddhist Affairs are all due to attend this Opening Ceremony.Former Head as well as the incumbent Head of the Navy are scheduled to participate in this event, to represent the Navy personnel who provided the services of the construction of the building and timely completion of the work. 95% of the construction cost of Rs.60Mn was met by Mr.Ajita de Zoysa, Vice President of the Sri Lanka Amarapura Nikyabhivurdhi Dayaka Sabha.

It is on a proposal made by the Supreme Maha Nayaka of the Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya, the Venerable Agga Maha Panditha Mahopadyaya Kotugoda Dhammavasa Mahimi, that this building was named the ‘Sir Cyril de Zoysa Commemoration Building’.

We wish to place on record that it is on a decision made by a team of Bhikkus of the Amarapura Nikaya together with the Nikayabhivurdhi Dayaka Sabha that this opening ceremony is kept as simple as possible; the reason being the threat of the corona epidemic which is not merely a local but a global pandemic.

Further, in view of the significance of this event an all-night Pirith will be held in the night of Sunday the 16th followed by a morning daana at 6.45 a.m. on Monday the 17th.