Cremation of late Ven. Prof. Wimalaratana Thera on Thursday

Senior Buddhist monk, Ven. Prof. Bellanwila Wimalaratana Nayaka Thera died in hospital Saturday, a day after injuring himself while feeding the temple elephant “Miyan Kumara”. The cremation will be held on February 8 at 3 p.m. at the Sri Jayawardenepura University grounds.

Ven. Prof. Bellanwila Wimalaratana Nayaka Thera (77), Deputy Incumbent of the Bellanwila Raja Maha Viharaya and Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayawardanapura passed away last morning while receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo.

Ven. Wimalaratana Thera was hospitalized on Friday after injuring himself while feeding the temple elephant “Miyan Kumara”. The Ven. Thera was seriously injured in the incident and admitted to the Colombo South Teaching Hospital where he underwent a surgery and was later transferred to the Asiri Surgical Hospital for further treatment, local media reported.

Ven. Bellanwila Wimalaratana Thera, who counted more than 60 years as a Bhikkhu, worked tirelessly for ethnic harmony and reconciliation. A respected academic, he participated in many intellectual discourses on these subjects. As an erudite Bhikkhu, the Ven. Thera was known for his eloquent Dhamma sermons. He was also a well-known Dhamma Dhuta (Messenger of Buddhism), having travelled to many world capitals to spread the Word of the Buddha. He took many steps to develop the Bellanwila Temple, which attracts pilgrims from all parts of the island, the government news portal reported.