Nationality Sri Lankan Role Playwright Name Ediriweera Sarachchandra | Website sarachchandra.org Religion Buddhism | |
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Born 3 June 1914Galle, Sri Lanka ( 1914-06-03 ) Spouse(s) Ailean (Beleth) Sarachchandra, Lalitha (Swarna Perera) Sarachchandra Children Nanaditha Sarachchandra, Sunethra Sarachchandra, Kisagothami Sarachchandra, Yashodhara Sarachchandra, Ransi Sarachchandra Awards Honorary D. Litt. from the University of Jaffna, Honorary D. Litt. from the University of Peradeniya in addition to the Professor Emeritus Books Curfew and a Full Moon Education St. Aloysius' College, University of Colombo | ||
Premayen mana ediriweera sarachchandra s maname
Ediriweera Sarachchandra (Sinhala: මහාචාර්ය එදිරිවීර සරච්චන්ද්ර) (3 June 1914 – 16 August 1996) was a Sri Lankan playwright, novelist, poet, literary critic, essayist and social commentator. Considered Sri Lanka's premier playwright, he was a senior lecturer at the University of Peradeniya for many years and served as Sri Lankan Ambassador to France (1974–1977).
Contents
- Premayen mana ediriweera sarachchandra s maname
- Malawunge awurududa professor ediriweera sarachchandra
- Early education
- Theatre
- Awards and honours
- Plays
- Novels
- Short Stories
- Research Literary Theory and Criticism
- Other
- References
Malawunge awurududa professor ediriweera sarachchandra
Early education
Sarachchandra was born on 3 June 1914. He completed his early education at Richmond College in Galle, St. John's College Panadura, S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia and St. Aloysius' College in Galle.
Sarachchandra started his career as a teacher at St. Peter's College in Colombo 4. He then joined the publishing company Lake House in an administrative position. 1933, gained admission to the Ceylon University College and offered Pali, Sanskrit and Sinhala for the first degree and passed out in 1936 with a first class and sat for the Ceylon Civil Service examination (because of his parents insistence) and came first in the island.[1]
In 1939 Sarachchandra wed Aileen Beleth. He subsequently travelled to Santiniketan to study Indian Philosophy and Music. Sarachchandra returned to Sri Lanka in 1940 and resumed his teaching career at St. Thomas College in Mt. Lavinia. From 1942 to 1944 he worked on his master's degree in Indian Philosophy as an external student of the University of London while holding the position of Sub-Editor of the Sinhala Dictionary.
Sarachchandra returned to the University of Ceylon serving as a lecturer in Pali from 1947 to 1949. He gained entry to the University of London in 1949 to study towards a post graduate degree in Western Philosophy.
Theatre
Sarachchandra produced his first stylist play Maname in 1956 to widespread acclaim. Maname is generally considered the first real Sinhala drama, signalling the transition from the Nadagam or folk drama to the modern theatrical drama format. It was praised especially for drawing influence from the traditional nadagam play style. He continued as a playwright, developing his play Sinhabahu in 1961, which is widely considered as his best work. The majority of his plays were derived from Buddhist Jathakas or Sinhala folklore, which secured immediate and enduring popularity among audiences who felt a connection to their cultural heritage.
Awards and honours
The University of Jaffna and the University of Peradeniya conferred Sarachchandra the degree of Doctor of Literature in 1982. Also in that year he was made an Emeritus Professor at the University of Peradeniya. In 1983, the State of Kerala in South India honored Sarachchandra with the Kumaran Asan World Prize. Subsequently, in 1988, he received the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for Literature.