Venerable Galaboda Gnaniessara Nayaka Thero: A Remarkable Sangha Leader with a Legacy of Religious and Social Service – President

President Ranil Wickremesinghe described Venerable Galaboda Gnanissara Nayaka Thero as a great Sangha, noting his extensive religious and social contributions in various roles.

Emphasizing that the Thero never cared about caste or religion, President Wickremesinghe highlighted his dedication to the well-being of all people. He stated that the highest tribute to him would be to protect and advance the Dharma and the social centre known as Gangarama Temple.

The President made these remarks while attending the cremation ceremony of Venerable Galaboda Gnanissara Nayaka Thero at Hunupitiya Gangarama Temple in Colombo. The ceremony was conducted with full state honours yesterday (05), at the temple premises.

Addressing the gathering President Ranil Wickremesinghe further elaborated,

Forty years ago, “Podi Hamuduruwo” and I organized the cremation ceremony for Vachissara Nayaka Thero. Today, I am here to attend the cremation ceremony of our Gnanissara Nayaka Thero. I am participating in this occasion as both the President of the country and a member of the Dayaka Sabha of this temple. Additionally, I represent the Wijewardene family, the oldest Dayaka family of this temple. Thus, I have many connections with Gangarama Temple.

I have known Ven. Devundara Vachissara Thero since my childhood. Rathanajothi Thero was also active during that time, and I met our “Podi Hamuduruwo” then as well. When I was about to attend university, he had left Vidyodaya campus and gave me advice about university life.

I was closely associated with him, and when I stood as a candidate for the Biyagama electorate, he offered me tremendous support and advice.

He once mentioned that Colombo needed a Perahera, and after discussions with President Jayawardena and Prime Minister Ranasinghe Premadasa, we initiated those activities. Today, this Nawam Perahera has become a major event in the country, thanks to the boundless dedication of our “Podi Hamuduruwo”. Additionally, he worked tirelessly to support temples in remote provinces and the little monks residing in them. We owe him our gratitude for that.

Theros from all provinces were brought to Colombo to carry out this work, and a four-story building was constructed because the temple could not accommodate these activities. His educational mission extended beyond this, as he established connections with Buddhist countries worldwide. The King of Bhutan was invited to Sri Lanka, initiating relations with the Bhutanese government. Additionally, contacts were made with Thailand, Vietnam, China, Korea, and Japan.

Today, at Gangarama Temple, not only is Buddha’s Dharma shared, but Chinese and Korean Buddhism and other sects also have the opportunity to engage with each other. By constructing new buildings, he significantly contributed to the temple’s development, transforming it into a Buddhist centre—a truly challenging task.

He also established vocational training centres for youth from poor families in these areas. This initiative not only provided them with vocational skills but also encouraged companies to hire these trained youths.

He also contributed too many other societal activities, such as building houses for the poor and helping everyone in need. We should remember this admirable quality of his. He did not discriminate based on religion or caste. During the riots of 1983, when it was difficult to deliver food to refugee areas, our “Podi Hamuduruwo” instructed other theros to board every lorry, ensuring subsidies reached those in need. He later went to Vavuniya to assist the villagers there.

Our “podi Hamuduruwo” was a leadership figure with exceptional administrative talent and made significant contributions to political affairs. He worked closely with J. R. Jayewardene, Ranasinghe Premadasa, Mahinda Rajapaksa, and me. When people faced problems, they would often approach the “Podi Hamuduruwo” to communicate their concerns to the president or prime minister.

We will never meet great characters like him again. He possessed unique qualities, and thanks to his talents, this temple has made significant progress today. Our challenge now is to continue the work he accomplished. Let us all commit ourselves to protecting and advancing this centre of Dharma and society known as Gangarama Temple.

The Trinitarian Maha Sangha led by Maha Nayaka Theros, Anu Nayake Theros, and lay priests, other religious leaders, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Speaker of the Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, Former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake, Secretary to the Prime Minister Anura Dissanayake, Ambassadors, High Commissioners and local and foreign devotees were attend at the event.