Chief Incumbent of the Bauddhayatanaya at Watarappala Road, Mount Lavinia, Saddharma Keerthi Sri Thripitakacharya Ven. Dr. Diviyagaha Yassassi Nayaka Thera, a retired Deputy Principal of Ananda College, Colombo, former Principal of Bhikkhu Training College, Ratmalana and Vice President of the World Buddhist Sangha Council, has been conferred the Upadhyaya title by the Most Ven. Mahanayaka Thera Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangalabhidana and the Executive Council of the Malwatte Chapter, in recognition of the national, religious and social services rendered to the society.
In 1998, the Nayaka Thera was conferred the title of Chief of Judicial and Ecclesiastical Affairs of the Nava Korale in Colombo. The Alumni Association of the Sri Jayewardenapura University presented the Ven. Thera with the “Sri Jayewardenapura Pradeepa” Award and in 2020, the Lincoln University of Malaysia awarded an honorary Doctorate to the Ven. Thera.
The conferring ceremony was held yesterday at the Malwatte Maha Vihara, Kandy, headed by Most Ven. Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangalabhidana Maha Nayaka Thera. Chief Sanganayaka of Southern Sri Lanka, Chief incumbent of Sithulpawwa Rajamaha Vihara, Upadhyaya Most Ven. Mataramba Hemarathana Nayaka Thera, Chief Sanganayaka of Seenadi Siv Korale, Chief incumbent of Attanagalla Rajamaha Vihara, Upadhyaya Ven. Dr. Pannila Ananda Nayaka Thera, and Vidyalankara Parivenadipathi Ven. Welamitiyawe Gnanarathana Nayaka Thera were present.
Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, Secretary of the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Somarathna Vidanapathirana, President, Bauddhaloka Foundation Jagath Sumathipala, Principal, Ananda College Colombo, Lal Dissanayaka, Senior Prof. Raja Gunawardana and Prasantha Lal De Alwis PC were also present.
A special Pooja to invoke blessings on Ven. Dr. Diviyagaha Yasassi Nayaka Thera was held in the evening at the Sri Dalada Maligawa. A special Atavisi Buddha Pooja will be held at the Bauddhayatanaya, Mt. Lavinia at 6.00 p.m. today with the participation of the Chief Incumbent of Dewram Vihara, Pannipitiya and Maha Nayaka of Sri Sumana Chapter of the Amarapura Nikaya Ven. Kolonnawe Sri Sumangala Thera.