brand logo

Ananda College recognises the T.B. Damunupola era on 136th anniversary

04 Nov 2022

By Meghavarna Kumarasinghe  T.B.Damunupola is recognised as an illustrious principal during and after a period of six years at the helm of Ananda College. His views and suggestions, expressed without fear and favour, were generally accepted by all heads of denominational schools at the time, among whom he was an acknowledged leader. Tikiri Banda Damunupola popularly referred to as T.B. Damunupola, was born on 3 January 1940, in Dedunupitiya Kandy. He was the eighth in a family of 10 siblings, born to D.B. Damunupola, then-Registrar of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, and B.M. Herath Pilapitiya Damunupola. Young Damunupola started his primary education at the village school Dedunupitiya Junior School and St. Bernadette’s College Polgahawela. He completed his primary schooling, and his father, who was keen to educate him at a popular school, admitted him to Dharmaraja College. He was a bright student, carrying away several prizes annually. After completing his higher studies, he entered the Ceylon University College Peradeniya, reading Sinhala, Economics, and History for a Bachelor of Arts Degree. After his examination in 1962, Damunupola joined the Government Service as a graduate teacher. As a graduate teacher, he was entrusted with all the subjects in the Higher School Certificate and university entrance classes at Galagedera Maha Vidyalaya in the subjects of Ceylon History, Eastern History, Sinhalese, and Political Science. In 1967, he was promoted as Principal and he served in his school until 1987. In the same year, Damunupola was selected as the Principal of Vidyartha College, Kandy. After a few years, Damunupola became Principal of Dharmaraja College, Kandy and he served in this capacity for nearly six years. On 4 June 1995, Damunupola succeeded A. P. Guneratne as Principal of Ananda College. Like his predecessor,, he joined Ananda straight from Dharmaraja College, Kandy; he was the seventh individual to have served both schools in the capacity of Principal. To be the head of the great school can never be anything but a heavy responsibility and certainly in these days of change and uncertainty, the burden of responsibility does not grow less. One of the Principal Damunupola’s main intentions was to broaden the base of the school development. By this time, the school premises had changed considerably, and great developments took place in this building scheme of the college, for which funding came from the Ministry of Education, the Old Boys’ Association (OBA), and well-wishers. In the Damunupola era, a new biology section was constructed, a computer laboratory, a new playground for the primary section, a college museum, a new staff room was built for the school’s Buddhist monks, a 25 m kiddies’ pool was added to the swimming pool complex, and the Ananda Vihara was revamped and equipped with fiberglass seats and improved facilities, and the college playground was named the Deshabandu Col. G.W. Rajapaksa Stadium. In the academic field, both A/L and O/L candidates scored more than 85% of passes at their examinations, which was regarded much above the percentage of passes in the island. Also in the field of sports during his regime, the college sports performance was of a high standard, and many sportsmen represented Sri Lanka and brought credit to Ananda College. Ananda did well in both cricket and rugby. In athletics, the college achieved major honours winning the Sir John Tarbet Cup, winning relay carnival trophies and also becoming public schools athletics champions. His era saw a fruitful coaching season for rugby, as the Ananda team won the Premadasa Trophy. This was a feat not achieved by any other school, and thus Ananda was crowned school champion. In cadetting, in the history of the college, the Senior Cadets won the Herman Loos Challenge Cup awarded to the most efficient Senior Cadet Platoon continuously for four years. Damunupola married Pinipa, a retired Principal of Hemamali Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Kandy, and then-Principal of Lexicon International School, Kandy. Their union blessed them with two daughters and a son. The happily married couple are now grandparents of seven children and are domiciled in the United Kingdom. After retirement in 2001, Damunupola worked as an administrator and academic consultant at Lexicon International School, Kandy. Principal Damunupola left behind a legacy of greatness and the spirit of Ananda College untarnished and unimpaired.     The writer is a former student of Ananda College, Colombo.    


More News..