Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh greet and are greeted by the Diyawadana Nilame of the Dalada Maligawa
A day or so before or after this event, the Duke of Edinburgh declared the University of Peradeniya to be “more open than usual”
QUEEN ELIZABETH …still blooming
… as for he Duke … well he has retired
… and Peradeniya Campus remains as blooming as open
SEE https://thuppahis.com/2013/05/26/peradeniya-university-in-full-bloom-again/
I regret not being able to witness the old glory of Peradeniya Open Theater. Rest of the university is as eye catching as ever during the spring and summer 🙂
The Diyawadana Nilame of the Dalada Maligawa greeting the Royal couple here is none other than the legendary Mr. Heen Banda Udurawana. born on 15th December, 1900, at Udurawana, Wattegama. Gaining his education at Christ Church College, Wattegama, he was well known for his abilities in athletics and volleyball. Finishing his preliminary education for higher studies he enrolled and graduated from the School of Agriculture, Alawatugoda.
Thereafter he played multiple roles before becoming the Diyawadana Nilame of the Dalada Maligawa. For a time period he was a proprietary planter businessman, leading contractor, and a transport agent. His tenure in devala service began in 1948, when he was elected Basnayake Nilame of Saman Devale, Alawatugoda, then in 1958 he was elected Basnayake Nilame of the Historic Natha Devale at Kandy.
What many from the current era do not know is that Mr. Udurawana also dabbled in politics. Until the Council was dissolved he was a Member of the Suduhumpola Ward of the Kandy Municipal Council in 1948, and of the Katukelle Ward in 1970. He also held the title of Deputy Mayor and acted as Mayor on two occasions. During his tenure of office at the KMC he took effective action to improve the D.S. Senanayake Library in Kandy, the Kandy Central Market and got a satisfactory Water Supply Scheme for Kandy.
Then moving on to the next phase in his life from 1967-1979 he served in the Senate of Ceylon as a Senator. Those close to him known him as a workaholic with a deep zeal, and a deep sense of duty and devotion for work executed with integrity and high principles. Because of this Mr. udurawana was known for not tolerating inefficiency, procrastination and bombast. Which I believe transpired placing this gentleman in a rather different light.
Reference
1. The unforgettable Heen Banda Udurawana Diyawadana Nilame- M. B.
Dassanayake, http://www.worldgenweb.org/lkawgw/udurawana.html
2. H.B. UDURAWANA – http://www.hbudurawana.com/biography