Anagarika Dharmapala
Many people remember Anagarika Dharmapala for his religious zeal. But there was another aspect to this national figure – his practical vision regarding the alleviation of poverty. The Hewavitarna School, though neglected now, remains a testament to this vision.
Few associate the Hewavitarne School, a rather nondescript building in Rajagiriya with one of Sri Lanka’s foremost religious figures, Anagarika Dharmapala. Today, though neglected, the school remains a testament to the Anagarika’s pragmatic vision, an aspect of this great man often overshadowed by his religious zeal.
In an era when the Sinhalese were succumbing to the pressures of the British Raj, and nothing was being done to overcome their lethargy and passive submission, rose the voice of Anagarika Dharmapala who waged a historical struggle for freedom and to gain the rights over Buddhagaya, the revered birth place of Gauthama Buddha.
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