Final rites of Most Ven. Anamaduwe Sri Dhammadassi Thero to be held on Thursday

The final rites of the late Anunayake of the Asgiri Chapter of the Siam Sect, Most Venerable Anamaduwe Sri Dhammadassi Thero is scheduled to take place with state sponsorship on Thursday (24).

The funeral ceremony will be held at the Asgiriya Police Ground in Kandy, according to a communique issued by the Temple of Tooth Relic in Kandy.

The remains of the late Thero will be taken to the Liyangastenna Purana Viharaya at 04:00 p.m. today (21) where it will lie-in-state for the public to pay final respects until 3.p.m. tomorrow (22).

The remains of the late prelate will lie in state at the Asgiriya Temple for the public to pay their last respects from tomorrow evening to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.

The funeral ceremony and the cremation of the prelate will be held with state sponsorship at the Police Grounds at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday.

The Anunayake of the Asgiri Chapter, Most Venerable Anamaduwe Dhammadassi Thero passed away at the age of 67, last night (20).

Venerable Anamaduwe Dhammadassi Thero passed away while receiving treatment at a private hospital following a heart attack yesterday.

A respected scholar, Venerable Dhammadassi Thero formerly served as a senior lecturer at the Anuradhapura Bhikkhu University and was the Chief Incumbent of the historic Wayamba Athkanda Rajamaha Viharaya.

The Venerable Anamaduwa Thera was born on September 3, 1958 in Kottukachchiya village, Anamaduwa.

Under the tutelage of Venerable Udugama Saddharma Keerthi Sri Dhammadassi Rathanapala Buddharakkhita Mahanayake Thero, who was the Mahanayake of the Asgiri Maha Vihara, and Venerable Wanduragala Sri Rathanajothi Thero, Senior Committee Member of the Asgiri Maha Viharaya, the Thero was ordained on May 19, 1976 under the name Dhammadassi of Anamaduwa and received his basic monastic education from the Sri Gnaneshwara Pirivena of the Gangaramaya Viharaya in Hunupitiya, Colombo.

Venerable Dhammadassi Thero received higher ordination on May 20, 1979 at the Mangala Uposithagaraya of the Asgiri Maha Vihara under the tutelage of Venerable Udugama Sri Dhammadassi Rathanapala Buddharakkhita Thero and Venerable Wanduragala Rathanajothi Thero, and under the tutelage of Venerable Haliyale Sri Sumanatissa Anunayake Thero, entered the University of Peradeniya in 1982.

Dhammadassi Thero, who obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Pali in 1985, obtained a Master of Arts degree from the Postgraduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies, University of Kelaniya, in 1990. Venerable Anamaduwe Dhammadassi Thero, who later obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from the University of Peradeniya in 1992, obtained a Master of Education degree from the Peradeniya university in 1998.

The Thero, who held the position of President of the Kandy Shasanarakshaka Balamandala and Vice President of the All Ceylon Shasanarakshaka Balamandala, began his school teaching career at the Vidyartha College, Kandy in 1986. Venerable Dhammadassi Thero, who also served as a lecturer at the Sariputta National College of Education, Nittambuwa, for some time, was later appointed as a lecturer at the Sri Lanka Bhikkhu University.

Venerable Anamaduwe Dhammadassi Thero, who was conferred with the title of Karmacharya of the Asgiri Maha Vihara Chapter by the former Mahanayake of the Asgiri Maha Vihara Chapter, Most Venerable Palipana Dharmakirthi Sri Gunarathana Chandanandabhidhana Thero, was appointed as a member of the Committee of the Vinsat Vargika Karaka Maha Sangha Sabha on July 30, 2002 with the blessings of Most Venerable Udugama Saddharmakirthi Sri Dhammadassi Rathanapala Buddharakkhita Mahanayake Thero.

Venerable Dhammadassi Thero, who also participated in the Thewawa activities of the Dalada Maligawa, was appointed as the Registrar of the Asgiri Maha Vihara Chapter on March 1, 2008. The Venerable Thero has visited countries such as India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Korea, England, Australia, Japan, etc. for religious and academic activities.

Venerable Dhammadassi Thero of Anamaduwa is a Sangha patriarch who has also played a significant academic role. The Thero was appointed as the Anunayake of the Asgiri Maha Viharaya Chapter on May 5, 2016 with the consent of all the members of the Vamsat and Vaargika Sangha Sabha of that Chapter.

Venerable Dhammadassi Thero of Anamaduwa often represented the Asgiri Chapter at national religious festivals in the country.