Welivita Sri Saranakara Thera | |
|---|---|
 A wall painting which depicts Weliwita Sri Saranankara Sangharaja Thero | |
| Title | Sangharaja |
| Personal | |
| Born | Kulathun Bandara (කුලතුන් බණ්ඩාර) 19 June 1698 |
| Died | 18 July 1778 (aged 80) Malwathu Maha Viharaya, Kandy |
| Religion | Buddhism |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| School | Theravada |
| Lineage | Siyam Nikaya |
| Occupation | Sangharaja, the supreme patriarch of Sri Lanka. |
| Senior posting | |
| Teacher | Suriyagoda Maha Thero. |
Students
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Weliwita Asaranasarana Sri Saranankara Sangharaja Thero (19 June 1698 – 18 July 1778) or popularly Weliwita Sri Saranankara Thero was a Buddhist monk, who was the last Sangharaja of Sri Lanka.[1] He was the pioneer in the revival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, after the decline of the religion in the 17th and 18th centuries.[2][3] Saranankara Thero was bestowed with the a title by king Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe in 1753, the same year he received the Upasampada (higher ordination of Buddhist monks) and re-established the Upasampada in Sri Lanka with the help of Mahasangha in Siam.[3] He is also credited with the establishment of Silvath Samagama (pious group), a union of monks who lived in accordance with the Buddhist monastic discipline.[4]
- ^ Ratnasinghe, Aryadasa (June 19, 2002). "Ven. Welivita Saranankara - the last Sangharaja". Daily News. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
- ^ Hewapathirane, Dr. Daya. "Venerable Weliwita Saranankara Sangha Raaja Mahathera". LankaWeb News. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
- ^ a b Weeraratne, Dr. W. G. (2003-05-20). "Pioneer of Buddhist renaissance of modern Sri Lanka". The Island. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
- ^ Buddhism regained, Sunday Times