Page 74 - FMS Today Volume 1 Issue 1

The graceful premises of the Sabaragamuwa Venerable Bhikku Dharmakirti held its

University of Sri Lanka is located in the chancellorship. Meanwhile, the monastic
southern foothills of the central mountain institution of higher education in Sabaragamuwa
range, 162 km away from Colombo, 39 km from had been in the custody of Deva Pathiraja, the
Bandarawela and about 18 km from the royal agent to the King Parakramabahu, the

Balangoda town on the Badulla- Colombo Road Second.
in the former Japanese Expatriate village of
the Samanalawewa Project, in Belihuloya. The During the early 1990s, the Sri Lankan
serendipitous university glares at the government came up with the new concept of

pulchritudinous scenery of the mountain range, “University Affiliated Colleges”. The concept was
Paraviyangala famously known as the “Adara triggered by various social problems faced by
Kanda”. The Sabaragamuwa University of Sri the younger generation. As a result, the

Lanka is the Twelfth University in the country, government decided to open new avenues for
where the establishment of the university in the younger generation by means of establishing
the province is a felicitation, especially to the new diploma awarding bodies, which were to be
residents of the Sabaragamuwa province and affiliated with several national universities. The
the Ratnapura District. However, initially the Sabaragamuwa Affiliated University College

university ordained as an affiliated university. (SAUC) was one of such institution formed in
affiliation with the University of Sri
As the legacy reveals, there is proof of an Jayewardenepura. The University was thereby

existence of a monastic University in established on 20th November 1991 in
Palabaddala in the district of Ratnapura, Belihuloya, Sabaragamuwa province under the
Sabaragamuwa province. This ancient Sabaragamuwa Province Affiliated University
University was established by Kalikala Sahittya College ordinance no.14 of 1992 declared by his
Sarvagna Pandita Parakramabahu, the Second Excellency R. Premadasa, then president of Sri

(1235–1271 AD) in the Dambadeniya period. Lanka on 8th February 1992.

VOLUME I | ISSUE I 68