Arisen Ahubudu

Arisen Ahubudu
Born March 18, 1920
Sri Lanka
Died 26 May 2011 (aged 91)
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Nationality Sri Lanka Sri Lankan
Other names Ariyasena Asuboda
Occupation writer, orator, scholar, playwright, teacher (Guru), Sinhala lyricist, author and poet in Sri Lanka
Religion Theravada Buddhism
Website
www.ahubudu.com

Kalasuri Arisen Ahubudu (Sinhala:කලාසූරි අරිසෙන් අහුබුදු) (1920–2011) was a writer, orator, scholar, playwright, teacher (Guru), Sinhala lyricist, author and poet in Sri Lanka, born in Mudiyallagahawatta in Malalaga, Koggala. He is a member of the Hela Havula. He has received three government awards for literary works, the title of Kalasuri from the Government of Sri Lanka, and the Sarasaviya Awards film award for best composer.

He was the second of the three children of the family of Devundara Devamanimendra Heronis De Silva and Wathugedara Laisohami. The child was named as Ariyasena Arsuboda by parents, which he later converted to fairly pure Sinhala name Arisen Ahubudu.

He had his early education at the Kataluwa government school and joined the Nittambuwa Teacher Training College. In 1937, at the age of 17, he first involved as a teacher in Piyadigama Saripuththa College, Ahangama. It was after his close association with Hela stalwarts Vellala Jayamaha and Kumaratunga Munidasa in the thirties and forties that he sharpened his language skills. The name change to Arisen Ahubudu was also the result of this association. munidasa gave an honorary to him as "Subas Pathin Kiwithi", due to excellent poetry he possess.

Ahubudu served 42 years as a teacher. Having first taught at Holy Trinity College in Nuwara Eliya, he moved to Mahinda College, Galle and later to Maha Bodhi College, Maradana. His longest stint came even later at St Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia 29 years from 1952 until 1979 where he was among those recruited by warden R.S.de Saram and who together with Sandadas Coperehewa and GL Jinadasa supported by D.S. Jayasekera he was a leader in the post independence renaissance in teaching of the Sinhala language and literary activities. To promote the use of Sinhala at a time when prominence was given to English, he began a free correspondence course for students whom he had never met or seen. He taught at Kibiya Government College, Katugastota Deegala College, Buddhist School, Wellatota also.

While on teaching, in 1947 he published a magazine called Ediya (means "power") for children. the motto of that magazine was "Ediya produced for improving powers of children". He strongly believed that Sinhalese people were originated from King Ravana, and not from King Vijaya.

Prior to his death Arisen Ahubudu was the last surviving prominent member of Hela Havula as well as the last surviving prominent Sri Lankan lyricist. Some of the popular songs that he lyrics are Kate Kiri Suwanda, Rena Gira Rena Ambe, Pruthugeese Kaaraya, Punsada Eliyay, Sudata Sude Walakulai, Rejina Mamai Ape Rajje, and Ko Hathuro, Lanka Lanka Pembara Lanka, Dakuna Nagenahira, Mal Gomu Gumu.

1946, he entered to the drama script writing and wrote very famous dramas at that time, such as Wanaraja Kumariya, Hela hethiriya, Sakwithi Ravana, and Lokanthaya saha geta.

Ahubudu died on 26 May 2011.[1]

Some of his works

Posts held

Awards and Honours

References

  1. ↑ Death of a scholar.
  2. ↑ "The S. Thomas' College Old Boys' Forum".
  3. ↑ "Sarasavi, The bookshop".

External links