| Kalutara Vidyalaya | |
|---|---|
කළුතර විද්යාලය | |
 | |
| Location | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 6°34′27″N79°57′53″E / 6.5742°N 79.9648°E /6.5742; 79.9648 |
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Motto | Sinhala:දෑ සමය සුරකිනු (Save the Race & Creed) |
| Established | 13 January 1941; 84 years ago (1941-01-13) |
| Founder | SirCyril de Zoysa |
| Principal | Pabasara Bandara |
| Grades | Primary to G.C.E. (A/L) |
| Gender | Boys |
| Age | 6 to 19 |
| Enrollment | 3,500 |
| Colours | Dark green, light green, dark green |
| Alumni | Kevians |
Kalutara Vidyalaya (Sinhala:කළුතර විද්යාලය) is aBuddhist boys' school inKalutara,Sri Lanka. The college was founded in 1941 by SirCyril de Zoysa.[1][2] It is anational school providing primary and secondary education.[1][3]
In order to provide education to the Buddhist children of Kalutara district, the Kalutara Buddhist Society, led by SirCyril de Zoysa, tried to start a Buddhist school inKalutara.[1][3]
As a result, Kalutara Vidyalaya was officially established on 13 January 1941, with 56 students and 11 teachers at the Martin Bungalow in Nagoda, Kalutara. In the beginning, the college was led by P. De S. Kularatne (principal of Ananda College), J. N. Jenendradasa (principal of Nalanda College), and E. W. Adikaram (principal of Ananda Sastralaya, Kotte). Later, D. D. P. Samaraweera became the first principal of the college.[1]
After only six months, the college became a senior secondary school. At the beginning, Kalutara Vidyalaya at the Martin Bungalow was a mixed school. On 7 January 1942,Kalutara Balika Vidyalaya was established in Clammily House by P. de S. Kularatne as the girls' school, with Kalutara Vidyalaya becoming a boys' school. On 18 March 1942, theRoyal Air Force took over the school for their use duringWorld War II.[1][4]
After a short break, Kalutara Vidyalaya recommenced at Kalutara Balika Vidyalaya. Sir Cyril de Zoysa noticed that it was hard to develop two schools and handed over his Brookline House to the Kalutara Balika Vidyalaya.[1][4] As a result, it was decided to maintain Kalutara Vidyalaya at Alwis Walawwa, located near Galle Road and facing both theKalu Ganga and theIndian Ocean. This remains the present location of Kalutara Vidyalaya.[4]
In April 1946, the college began offering free education and was transferred across to the government. In 1998, the college became anational school.[1]Today[when?] the school has about 3,500 students and more than 120 teachers.
The boys are divided into four houses, led by house captains. The houses compete in inter-house games and house colours are awarded to winners.[1] The houses are:
The annualcricket encounter between Kalutara Vidyalaya and Tissa Central College, known as the "Battle of the Mangosteen" (Kevian–Tissian cricket encounter), has been held since 1949. It is the second-oldestbig match between two leadingBuddhist schools in Sri Lanka and the 11th longest running big match in Sri Lanka.[5][6]
The name "Battle of the Mangosteen" is derived from Kalutara’s reputation for cultivating mangosteen fruit, reflecting the region's agricultural identity and adding a local cultural element to the rivalry.
In 1949, Herbert de Silva for Kalutara Vidyalaya and Gamini Karunaratne for Tissa Central College made history as the captains of the Battle of the Mangosteen's debut match. With Kalutara Vidyalaya succeeding in recording the victory in that match, the name of Herbert de Silva is written as the first winning captain, and the name of Kalutara Vidyalaya is written as the first winning team. The first time Tissa Central College won the match in the history of the Battle of the Mangosteen was recorded in 1958. The team is led by A. K. D. Jayaweera.[5][7]
So far, 65 matches have been played. Kalutara Vidyalaya (Kevians) has won 23 matches, and Tissa Central College (Tissians) has won 6 matches. 36 matches have resulted in draws.
Parade of the Greens is an annual vehicle parade organised by the community of Kalutara Vidyalaya, held prior to the cricket encounter against Tissa Central College. The event features a procession of decorated vehicles—includingCars,SUV'sMotorbikes,Double-decker bus, andTrucks—accompanied by music, dancing, and cheering crowds.[8]