Visakha Vidyalaya

Visakha Vidyalaya
The crest of Visakha Vidyalaya Pali: Paññaya Parisujjhati (by wisdom is one cleansed)
Location
Colombo Sri Lanka
Information
Type	Public
Established	1917
Principal	Mrs. Sandamali Aviruppola
Color(s)	Gold and Blue
Website	Visakha Vidyalaya

Visakha Vidyalaya is a girls school in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is a National School funded by the central government providing primary and secondary education.

History

The school was established in 1917 by the late Celestina Dias as the Buddhist Girls College in a house called 'The Firs' in Turret Road, Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was the desire of Mrs. Dias to train the school girls according to the Buddhist moral values and principles. In 1927 it moved to its present premises in Vajira Road, Colombo and was named Visakha Vidyalaya (Visakha College) by Lady Herbert Stanley the wife of the Governor of Ceylon at that time. In 1939 the school was affiliated to Lady Irwin College, New Delhi to conduct courses in home science.^[1] Science subjects were introduced to the curriculum in 1946, for the first time in a girls school in Sri Lanka.

School motto

The school's motto is from the Alavaka Sutta in the Sutta Pitaka of the Tripitaka. When the yakkha Alavaka first confronted Lord Buddha, he threatened to exterminate Lord Buddha unless He, Lord Buddha were to answer all his questions. One of the questions asked was "Kathansu Parisujjhati" (how is one cleansed) to which Lord Buddha replied, "Paññaya Parisujjhati" (by wisdom is one cleansed).

Houses

There are 6 houses at Visakha:

Dawes -
Dias -
Jayatilake -
Motwani -
Pulimood -
Weerasooriya -

Most of the names of the Houses are made from the names of Past Principals.

Sports

Sports played at Visakha are:

Squash
Swimming
Synchronized Swimming
Table Tennis
Tennis
Volleyball
Waterpolo

The school captain is Radini Mendis.

Clubs and societies

Astronomical Association
Broadcasting Unit
Buddhist Association
Commerce and Arts Society
Discussion Forum
ADIC Society
English Drama Society
English Literary Association
Environment Society

Film Society
Health Society
Information and Communication Technology Society
Interact Club
Junior Oriental Band
Junior Western Band
Music circle
Oriental Music Society

Photographic Society
Quiz Club
Red Cross Society
Science Association
Scrabble Club
Senior Oriental Band
Senior Western Brass Band
Sinhala Literary Association
Western Music Society
Art Society
Aesthetic Society (Fine Arts)
Aviation Society

Past principals

Name	Entered office	Departed office
Dr. Bernice T. Banning	Jan. 1917	Dec. 1917
Miss J. Ganguli	Jan. 1918	Mar. 1920
Miss H. Westbrook	Mar. 1920	Jan. 1921
Miss D. C. Devereaux	Feb. 1921	May 1922
Miss E. L. Fletcher	May 1922	May 1924
Miss G. H. Pearse (Acting)	May 1924	May 1925
Miss S. E. Lowe	May 1925	Sept.1926
Miss G.H. Pearse	Sept.1926	Apr. 1933
Mrs. MacDonald (Act.)	May 1933	Jun. 1933
Mrs. C. L. Motwani	Jun. 1933	Apr. 1945
Mrs. S. G. Pulimood	May 1945	Jul. 1967
Mrs. H. S. Jayasinghe	Jul. 1967	Jun. 1983
Mrs. S. E. Siriwardhana	July 1983	Dec. 1987
Mrs. M. N. Edussuriya	Jan. 1988	Oct. 1999
Mrs. R. M. L. Jayasekara	Oct. 1999	Nov. 2001
Mrs. M. D. I. N. Siriwardhana	Nov. 2001	July 2003
Mrs. R. N. Amarasinghe	July 2003	July 2007
Mrs. C. R. Gunarathne	July 2007	Oct. 2008
Mrs. B. M. Weerasooriya	Oct. 2008	Dec 2008
Mrs. Sandamali Aviruppola	Dec. 2008	Present

Notable alumni

Sumitra Peries – filmmaker and Sri Lanka's Ambassador to France
Inoka Sathyangani – film director and producer
Ruchira Silva – fashion designer
Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama – Vice-Chancellor of the University of Colombo
Kamalini de Silva – Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice^[2]
Dr Tara de Mel – former parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education and Lecturer, Medical Faculty, University of Colombo

References

↑ "Clara Motwani". ancestry.com.
↑ "New Justice Ministry Secy. assumes duties tomorrow". sundaytimes.lk.