# Mahanama College

Mahanama College is a Buddhist boys school in Colombo, Sri Lanka which was established in 1954. As a public, national school, it is controlled by the central government, as opposed to a provincial council. It provides both primary and secondary education.

## College
### Location

Mahanama College is located in Kollupitiya, Colombo. The main entrance of the college is situated on R. A. D. Mel Mawatha, Colombo 3, while the southern premises are adjacent to C.M.S. Ladies' College.

### History

Mahanama College was founded in 1954 by Ven Maawiththara Rewatha thero at the Walukarama Temple, Kollupitiya, with only five students in the attendance. By 1956, the school was officially registered as a government-assisted junior school. The student body gradually expanded, reaching 163 students and four staff members by 1960, when J. D. A. Jayakodi was appointed as school's first principal. By 1969, the student population had grown to 373, with 14 staff members.
Due to the rapid increase in enrollment, the school relocated to a nearby site at Valukarama, with primary classes held at Thurstan College. In 1974, under the leadership of the principal, T. N. Silva, the junior school at Thurstan College moved to its present location. In 1975, 130 students sat for the National General Certificate of Education, with 107 students successfully passing the exam. The Sri Lankan government provided 28,000 square metres (7 acres) of land to facilitate the school's expansion. By 1976, the school had several two-storey buildings.
In the early 1970s, principal N. E. Fernando oversaw several improvements, including the construction of a dental unit, additional classrooms, and the first two-story building on campus. Following principal K. N. P. de Silva's retirement in February 1986, D.G. Sumanasekera took over as the principal. Sumanasekera was the first SLEAS Class-1 principal at head Mahanama College, and during his tenure, he laid the groundwork for the modern institution.
K. K. Rathnadasa became principal in 1990 and, during his time at the college, several three-storey buildings were constructed, a computer section was established, a children's park created and the annual carnival 'Foot-Loose' organised.
In 1999, G. Liyanage became principal. He added a three-storey building with an art gallery to the existing campus. During his tenure, the school laboratories and computer sections were improved and buildings were renovated. The Battle of the Golds also known as the "Big Match" between Mahanama College and its friendly rival D. S. Senanayake College, Colombo, was inaugurated.

### Administration and education

As it is a national school, the college is funded by the Ministry of Education. The ministry appoints a principal, the head of the administration. The principal is assisted by Vice principals and academic staff. Like other Sri Lankan colleges, the school is divided into three sections primary, middle, and upper school. Each section under its own sectional head who controls the specific sector of the school. The school also appointed prefects to maintain discipline. Prefects are pupils who have been given limited authority over other pupils in the school, similar to the authority given to a hall monitor or safety patrol member.
Mahanama College only consists of Buddhist and Sinhala students. Sinhala is the official language used in the school. However, students can choose Sinhala or English medium to do their higher education.

## Principals

* Ven. Vahalle Dhammananda Thero (1954–1960)
* J. D. A. Jayakody (1960–1968)
* N. E. Fernando (1968–1974)
* T. S. Silva (1974–1976)
* K. N. P. de Silva (1976–1986)
* D. G. Sumanasekara (1986–1990)
* K. K. Ratnadasa (1990–1999)
* G. Liyanage (1999–2003)
* W. H. Premalal Kumarasiri (2003–2012)
* U. M. Prasanna Upashantha (2013–2016)
* L. M. D. Dharmasena (2016–2020)
* R. A. R. M. Rathnayake (2020–2021)
* A. M. A. A. C. Perera (2021–2023)
* Prabath Vithanage (2023-present)

## School houses

Students are divided into four houses, whose names are derived from Sanskrit language.
| House | Meaning |
| Mettha | Benevolence, friendliness, amity, friendship, goodwill, kindness. |
| Karuna | The Buddhist concept of compassion. |
| Muditha | Means joy. It is especially sympathetic or vicarious joy, the pleasure that comes from delighting in other people's well-being. |
| Upekha | The Buddhist concept of equanimity. |

## Sports and extracurricular activities

Eighteen sports are played in Mahanama College.

### Cricket

The Battle of the Golds is the annual cricket contest between D. S. Senanayake College and Mahanama College. It began in 2007, and is commonly referred to as the "Big Match." The contest revives their age-old cricketing tradition. The "Golden Parade" of Mahanama College is a parade of vehicles that runs through the streets of Colombo. It is organized by the Old Boys Association of Mahanama College. Every year large crowds from both schools gather at the SSC Cricket Ground to witness the encounter. Below are listed the results to date:
| Year | Result | Ref. |
| 2007 | Lost | — |
| 2008 | Won | — |
| 2009 | Lost | — |
| 2010 | Won | — |
| 2011 | Lost | — |
| 2012 | Won | |
| 2013 | Won | |
| 2014 | — | — |
| 2015 | Lost | |
| 2016 | Won | |
| 2017 | Won | |
| 2018 | Won | |
| 2019 | Won | |
| 2020 | Postponed due to COVID-19 | — |
| 2021 | Postponed due to COVID-19 | — |
| 2022 | Won | |
| 2023 | Won | — |
| 2024 | Won | — |

## Co-curricular activities
### Societies
#### Mahanama College Media Unit (MCMU)

Mahanama College Media Unit is one of the leading and pioneering school media units in Sri Lanka. The Media Unit of Mahanama College was started in 1987 and, this is one of Sri Lanka’s oldest school media units which has more than 33 years of history and experience. The Media Unit has achieved:
* First school radio to transmit through short-wave amateur radio technology.
* First school television to transmit a live big match one day encounter on Facebook Live
* Sri Lanka’s first school media website to be awarded in Sri Lanka’s only web designing competition BestWeb.lk in the year 2020.

## Notable events

In 2014, Mahanama College's 60th anniversary and annual prize-giving was held under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Bandula Gunawardena. The president awarded students and teachers who had excelled in various fields.

## Notable alumni

| Name | Notability |
| Channa Weerasuriya | Army officer |
| Danushka Gunathilaka | International cricketer |
| Malindu Maduranga | cricketer |
| Dhananjaya de Silva | International cricketer |
| Chathura Randunu | International cricketer |
| Shasheendra Rajapaksa | Politician |
| Jayantha Kularathna | Naval officer |
| Pavan Rathnayake | International cricketer |
| Chandana Welikala | Director of administration for Sri Lanka Air Force |
| Sonal Dinusha | International cricketer |
| Dilesh Gunaratne | cricketer |
| Heshan Hettiarchchi | cricketer |
| Eranga Weeraratne | Politician, Engineer, Business Executive |