Isipathanaramaya Temple

Isipathanaramaya Temple is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Located in Havelock Town it was built in 1916 by Duenuge Disan Pedris, a wealthy merchant, in memory of his only son Henry Pedris[1] who was executed by British officials for alleged incitement of racial riots in 1915, which were proven false.[2][3] The temple was constructed on a 2 ha (4.9 acres) property that Pedris had purchased in 1905.[4]

The murals in the temple were painted by Maligawe Sarlis[5](1880-1955) in 1920-21. The murals have been described as "exuberant, theatrical recastings of the traditional subjects of Buddhist temple art, in a vivid realist style".[6]

In the late 1950s the Greenlands Road which located close to it was renamed Isipathana Mawatha and the Greenlands College that was located in close proximity was renamed Isipathana Maha Vidyalaya.

In November 2016 a 12 m (39 ft) statue of Buddha, in a standing posture built at a cost of Rs. 4.5 million, was unveiled at the temple by President Maithripala Sirisena.[7]

References
  1. Karunatilake, H. N. S. (1978). Life and times of Edward Henry Pedris, national hero. University of California. p. 23.
  2. "Blood-soaked chair, a warning". Sunday Times. 2 January 2000.
  3. Wijenayake, Walter (8 July 2011). "Why innocent Henry Pedris was executed by the British". The Island.
  4. Karunatilake, H. N. S. (7 July 2005). "Edward Henry Pedris: great patriot". Daily News. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  5. de Zoysa, Asoka (2016). Portraiture in Sri Lankan art from mid-eighteenth century to mid- twentieth century. University of Kelaniya.
  6. Schoppert, Peter. "Buddhist Modernism - The Isipathanaramaya Murals". PSMedia. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  7. "Buddha Statue to be Unveiled Today". Sunday Observer. 6 November 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2017.

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