DB Dhanapala

D. B. Dhanapala
Born 1905
Tissamaharama, Sri Lanka
Died 1971
Nationality Sri Lankan
Alma mater Allahabad University
Mahinda College, Galle
Occupation Journalist Biographer Art Historian

Diyogu Badathuruge Dhanapala was a Sri Lankan Journalist and Author

Early life and career

Dhanapala was born in Tissamaharama and educated at Mahinda College Galle and Allahabad University India. After an early career as a teacher including a period spent as Principal of Dharmaloka Vidyalaya Kelaniya he took to Journalism as a career.

Journalism

Dhanapala started in journalism working at the Dinamina Newspaper published by the Lake House Group. He later moved as founder editor to a competing daily Sinhala newspaper Lankadipa [1] and commenced a long standing friendship with fellow reporter PA Ediriweera. The newspaper began as a six column tabloid in 1947 and was a standard seven column daily newspaper by 1949. His ability to influence political thinking in the Sinhala speaking population is believed to have caused concern among the politicians in power in the incumbent government (from the Uunited National Party) as he supported the campaign of Mr S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in the 1956 general election.[2]

Career as author

Dhanapala was a well known biographer of leading personalities in Ceylon and is best known for his book on contemporary political figures Among those Present. His writing also includes work on Buddhist paintings from shrines and temples in Ceylon [3] and the story of Sinhalese paintings.[4]

Travel industry

Together with PA Ediriweera he founded the travel firm Ceylon Tours.

Honours

The Sri Lanka Press Institute commemorates his memory through the award of the DB Dhanapala Award for the Best Journalist .[5]

Family

Dhanapala was married to Rathi Dhanapala teacher, poet, artist and author,[6][7] and his family followed him into the media and creative fields. He was the father of filmmaker D. B. Nihalsinghe and photographer D.B Suranimala [8] who married Ranjini Ediriweera (who acted in the film Wer stirbt schon gerne unter Palmen? (1974) [9] and later joined her brothers as a director of Ceylon Tours) the daughter of his friend and business partner PA Ediriweera.[10]

References

  1. ↑ DB Dhanapala in Encyclopaedia of Sri Lanka by Charles A Gunawardana page 115. books.google.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-01-21.
  2. ↑ "33rd death anniversary of D. B. Dhanapala". http://www.dailynews.lk. Retrieved 2011-01-21.
  3. ↑ "Buddhist paintings from shrines and temples in Ceylon". http://trove.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 2011-01-21.
  4. ↑ Buddhist paintings from shrines and temples in Ceylon. books.google.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-01-21.
  5. ↑ "When Journalists made news". www.thesundayleader.lk. Retrieved 2011-01-21.
  6. ↑ "Remembering a pioneer in education Rathi Dhanapala". sundaytimes.lk. Retrieved 2011-01-21.
  7. ↑ "Detail of painting by Rathi Dhanapala". www.flickr.com. Retrieved 2011-01-21.
  8. ↑ "The folk drama of Ceylon 2d ed.by E. R. Sarachchandra. Photographs by D. B. Suranimala.". openlibrary.org. Retrieved 2011-01-21.
  9. ↑ "Wer stirbt schon gerne unter Palmen?". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2011-01-22.
  10. ↑ "The Ceylon Tours Legacy continues Daily Mirror 25th October 2011". print.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2011-01-21.