Colombo YMBA remembers prominent philanthropist

Sir Ernest de Silva

The 125th birth anniversary of Sir Ernest de Silva fell on November 26. Born on November 26, 1887 to a business family in the South, Rathgama, he became a prominent business personality, banker, barrister, public figure and a prominent philanthropist of the 20th century.

At a time when Buddhism was threatened by local and foreign aggressive elements, he being a pioneer Buddhist leader did a remarkable service to arrest the situation with great dedication. The yeoman services rendered by Sir Earnest de Silva to the Buddhist society of the country etched in gold in the history of Sri Lanka.

He became the second president of the Colombo Young Men's Buddhist Association in 1944 and held the prestigious post till 1955. During his period, he worked towards the uplift of the YMBA and bestowed his wealth and property generously for the well-being of Buddha Sasana and Buddhists. Sir Ernest was, undoubtedly, Sri Lanka's greatest philanthropist of the 20th century, funding a large number of Charitable Organisations. Among his various donations and assistance to the YMBA, lands at Walana and Katunayake to build an orphanage and today it's the Lakshmi Home for Children and Gamini Matha Elders Home at Hunupitiya Road, Colombo 2 are institutions managed and maintained by the Colombo YMBA.