Rahula College

Coordinates: 5°57′12″N 80°32′6″E / 5.95333°N 80.53500°E / 5.95333; 80.53500

Rahula College
Location
Matara, Sri Lanka
Information
Type	All-Boys government school, started as private Buddhist
Motto	අත්‍තානං දමයන්ති පණ්ඩිතා (Pali for “Wise man controls himself”)
Established	1923
Grades	1–13
Number of students	Over 7000
Color(s)	Blue and Gold
Affiliation	Matara Buddhists' Society (1923)
Website	rahulacollege.org

Rahula College is a boys' school in Sri Lanka, located in Matara district - . Though it was originally a Buddhist school, now it is run by the Government of Sri Lanka as a National School. It was one of the first schools which was converted to a National School. Rahula College has two sections - the Primary section, serves students from Grade 1 to Grade 5 and the Secondary section, serves students from Grade 6 to Grade 13.

History

In 1921, F. Gorden Pearce (principal of Mahinda College, Galle), D.T.W. Rajapaksha Ralahami, Sir R.S.S. Gunawardana established the "Buddhists Society". On 1 May 1923, the Buddhists Society opened a school named Parakramabhahu Vidyalaya, in a rented building which was situated at Main Street, Matara. Parakramabhahu Vidyalaya's motto was "May I be a true buddhist". Hewabowalage Yasapala was the first student of Parakramabhahu Vidyalaya. Parakramabhahu Vidyalaya was shifted to the "Saram Mudali Walawwa" which was donated by C. A. Odiris de Silva, with the new name of "Rahula College". C.A.Odiris de Silva's second son C.A.Ariyathilake, who is also the donator of the Matara's leading girls school Sujatha Vidyalaya; was the donator of this school to the government.

Rahula College currently has over 7,000 students.^{[citation needed]}

Matara District

Principals

College houses

College houses' names and colours:

• Ashoka : Red     
• Gemunu : Blue     
• Parakrama : Yellow     
• Vijaya : Green     

Web team

Rahula College official website was established in 2012 as a result of the Rahula Web Project along with the Rahula Web Team 2003. The project was conducted by Bogoda Wimalagnana Thero, Mr. Jayawardane, Mr. V.V.D. Dharmawardane.

Primary section

Rahula Primary is located in Welegoda. It was established in 1991, at the place where the Sudarshana Model School was. There are classes from grade 1 to grade 5. The current principal of Rahula Primary is Abeykoon.

RahulaTV

The Internet Operations Team of The College – Team|RCMweb – is getting ready to unleash yet another proud project to the audience, the RahulaTV. It was broadcast Battle of Two Cities between 2011 Rahula College and St. Aloysius’ College as it’s inaugural webcast.

RahulaTV has been function as a sub unit of the Team|RCMweb. The Information and Communication Technology Section of Rahula College has been proud to have another child of her to spread the name of Mother Rahula all over the world. RahulaTV is run in collaboration with Rahula College Media Unit presenters.

RahulaTV web streaming service has been covering school events with most community interest, live through the internet to the whole world.

Sports

Alumni

Old pupils of Rahula College Matara are called Rahulites.^[1] Following is a list of them;

• D. E. W. Gunasekera - Minister of Constitutional Affairs & National Integration
• Buddhika Pathirana MP - Member of the 7th Parliament of Sri Lanka represents the United National Party (UNP), for Matara District
• Ranjan Wijayawardhana - former Matara District MP ^[2][3]
• Lalith Weeratunga, SLAS - current Permanent Secretary to the President
• Chandrananda de Silva, SLAS - former Secretary, Ministry of Defence and former Commissioner of Elections
• Kusumsiri Balapatabendi - former Permanent Secretary to the President of Sri Lanka and Diplomat, former Chairman, SriLankan Airlines
• Dhammika Kitulgoda - former District Judge, former Secretary General of Parliament (1999–2002, 2008–2012 ) and Secretary to the Parliamentary Council
• Ranjith Dheeraratne - former Judge of Supreme Courts
• Gunasena Galappatty - Sri Lankan dramatist, and Sinhala Radio Play writer
• Victor Hettigoda - Sri Lankan entrepreneur
• Suraj Randiv - Sri Lanka cricketer ^[4][5][6]
• Vajira Senaratne, Consultant Cardiologist

• Pramodya Wickramasinghe - former Sri Lanka test cricketer
• Upul Wijayawardhana - Consultant Cardiologist ^{[7][8][9][10]}
• Sarath Wijesinghe - former Sri Lankan Ambassador designate to the UAE, attorney-at-law, former President of Association of Sri Lankan Lawyers (ASLLU) United Kingdom, former Chairman of the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) ^[11]
• Nandasena Bambarawanage - former Controller of Immigration and Emigration ^[12]
• Dixon Nilaweera - former Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance ^[13]
• Ariya Rubesinghe - President's Media Coordinator, Director General Media Center for National Development. Ministry Of Mass Media and Information former Director of Information ^[14]
• Amara Hewamadduma, SLAS - former Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Religious and Cultural Affairs and former Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Social Welfare.^[15]
• H. M. S. Samaranayake - former Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourist Board ^[16]
• W. K. Kumarasiri - Secretary Ministry of Nation Building ^[17][18]
• Nandasiri Muthukumarana - veteran educationist and administrator ^[19]
• Somapala de Silva - former Chairman ICTAD

Big matches

Battle of Two Cities

Rahula College had an annual cricket encounter with St. Aloysius College, Galle,named "Battle of Two Cities" till 2011. The first Battle of Two Cities was played at the Galle International Stadium in 2004. Aloysians host the Battle when it comes in even numbered years, in The Galle International Stadium and Rahulians host the Battle in odd numbered years, in Uyanwaththa Cricket Stadium. RahulaTV has webcast this on 2011.

Battle of Golden Lions

Starting from 2012 Rahula College and Dharmapala College is playing the big match. The first match was held on Uyanwatta Stadium and Rahula College was the host.

References

External links

• Official website
• Rahula College's SchoolNet website
• RahulaTV