State funeral today for Maha Nayaka Thera
The Most Ven. Udugama Sri Buddharakkhitha Maha Nayaka Thera of the
Asgiriya Chapter passed away at a private hospital in Singapore on
Wednesday. He was 85 years and was ailing for some time.
Born in 1930 to G.M. Punchi Bandara Nilame and Jayasundara
Mudiyanselage Muthu Manike at Udugama in the Kurunegala district, the
Ven. Thera had his primary education at the Udugama Government School
and secondary education at the Sri Dharmaraja Pirivena, Matale where he
excelled in oriental languages under the tutelage of Ven. Pandit
Gammulle Sri Chandajothi Nayaka Thera.
He was ordained in 1945 at the age of 15 and later received higher
ordination as a pupil of Ven. Udugama Rathanapala Maha Nayaka Thera in
1951 at the Asgiri Maha Vihara.
Subsequently, he was appointed a member of the Supreme Council of the
Sangha in 1968 and Viharadhipathi of the Rangiri Dambulu Raja Maha
Vihara in 1992.
The Ven. Thera was appointed Anunayaka of the Asgiriya Chapter in
1998 and the 20th Mahanayaka in 1999. He had widely travelled in
predominantly Buddhist countries such as Korea, Thailand, Japan,
Singapore, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Burma, Cambodia and India.
Despite his venerated position in the Buddhist hierarchy, the Ven.
Thera very often voiced concern on controversial issues threatening
national life such as drug addiction of youth and erosion of social
values.
He was forthright in his strident views when he castigated
politicians amassing ill-gotten wealth and deplored the abuse of
cellphones by children. He exhorted politicians who sought his counsel
to work with a sense of national interest sinking party affiliations.
The Most Ven. Mahanayaka will be accorded a state funeral at the
Asgiriya Police grounds, Kandy at 2.00 p.m. today.
The government has declared today, a day of national mourning.
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