Politics · Sri Lanka Bureau
President pays final respects to senior Buddhist prelate in Kandy
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake visited Rajopawanaramaya Temple in Gatambe to pay his last respects to the Most Venerable Kappetiyagoda Siri Wimala Thera, a respected senior monk of the Sri Lanka Ramanna Maha Nikaya who has passed away.
LSN Sri Lanka ·
The President attended the temple on Monday to honour the late prelate, who held the position of Anunayake—a senior ecclesiastical rank—within the Ramanna Maha Nikaya monastic order. Most Venerable Kappetiyagoda Siri Wimala Thera also served as Chief Incumbent of the Rajopawanaramaya Temple, a prominent religious institution in the Gatambe area of Kandy district.
The visit underscores the significance of the deceased monk's contributions to Sri Lanka's Buddhist community and the respect accorded to senior members of the clergy by the country's political leadership.
The Ramanna Maha Nikaya is one of the three principal divisions of Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka, with deep historical and cultural roots in the nation's religious life. The passing of senior ecclesiastical figures traditionally draws tributes from government officials and community leaders across the island.
Photo: President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his official portrait, November 2024. Channa udeepa jayawardhane via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).