The Dipavamsa, or "Deepavamsa", (i.e., Chronicle of the Island, in Pali: Dīpavaṃsa) is the oldest historical record of Sri Lanka. It means Chronicle of the Island. The chronicle is believe to be compiled from Atthakatha and other sources around the 3-4th century. Together with Mahavamsa, it is the source of many accounts of ancient history of Sri Lanka and India. Its importance resides not only as a source of history and legend, but also as an important early work in Buddhist and Pali literature.

The work has been translated into English by B. C. Law. It is probably authored by several Buddhist monks of the Mahavihara tradition of Anuradhapura in the 3rd-4th century. The preamble begins with "Listen ! I shall relate the chronicle of the Buddha's visits to the island, the arrival of the Tooth Relic and the Bodhi tree, the advent of the Buddha's doctrine, the rise of the teachers, the spread of Buddhism in the island and the coming of Vijaya the Chief of Men".^[1] King Dhatusena (4th century) had orderd that the Dipavamsa be recited at the Mahinda (son to Asoka )festival held annually in Anuradhapura.

The Dipavamsa refers to three visits to the Island by the Buddha, the places being: Kelaniya, Dighavapi, the place where the Bo-sapling was later planted within the Maha Mewna-uyana (Park) of Anuradhapura. It does not make any mention of the Buddha visiting the Samanalakanda (Adam's Peak).

Regarding the Vijaya legend, Dipavamsa has tried to be less super-natural than the later work, Mahavamsa in referring to the husband of the Kalinga-Vanga princess, ancestor of Vijya, as a man named Sinha who was an outlaw that attacked caravans en route. In the meantime, Sinha-bahu and Sinhasivali, as king and queen of the kingdom of Lala (Lata), "gave birth to twin sons, sixteen times." The eldest was Vijaya and the second was Sumitta. As Vijaya was of cruel and unseemly conduct, the enraged people requested the king to kill his son. But the king caused him and his seven hundred followers to leave the kingdom, and they landed in Sri Lanka, at a place called Tamba-panni, on the exact day when the Buddha passed into Maha Parinibbana.

The Dipavamsa gives a fuller account of the arrival of Theri Sangamitta(daughter to Asoka), but the epic story of Dutugamunu is treated only briefly, in ten Pali stanzas, while the Mahavamsa devoted ten chapters to it.

The Dipavamsa is considered "source material" to the Mahavamsa, The latter is more coherently organized, and is probably the greatest religious and historical Epic work in the Pali language. The historiography (i.e., the chronology of kings, battles etc.) given in the Mahavamsa, and to that extent in the Dipavasma, are believed to be largely correct from about the time of the death of Asoka.^[2][3]

References[link]

Professor Sanath Nandasiri (born February 15, 1942 in Gothatuwa, Sri Lanka) is a critically acclaimed Sri Lankan classical musician.

Nandasiri has received several awards for his compositions; he composed the music to Sandamalige Kathawa, the first TV serial on Rupavahini.^[1]

Life and career[link]

Early life and education[link]

Nandasiri was born to businessman and building contractor, H.M. William Perera and Dona Amalin Katugampola. He attended two schools concurrently as an adolescent (Gothatuwa Maha Vidyalaya and St. Matthew’s College, Dematagoda, where he studied English).^[1]

Nandasiri first appeared on Sinhala Radio at the age of 13 in 1955. He began studying the tabla instrument under D.R. Peiris soon after. In 1960 Nandasiri travelled to India to continue his studies at Bhatkhande Music Institute. His teachers at the academy included Ustad Ahmed Jan Thirakwa, G.N. Nattu, Ustad Mokshut Ali, Pandit Hari Shankar Misra and Ustad Rahimmuddeen Khan Daga.^[1]

While in India, Nandasiri composed several songs that appeared on Lucknow radio. He returned to Sri Lanka in 1974 and joined the staff of University of Kelaniya as a lecturer. Nandasiri served as the head of music at the university from 1988–1992.^[2]

Nandasiri took the Part I examination in vocal music and obtained first class at the "Nipun" examination in 1992 becoming the first Sri Lankan to achieve this task.^[2] He serves as Dean of the Music Faculty at the University of the Visual Arts and Performing Arts.

Personal life[link]

Nandasiri married singer Malkanthi Peiris in 1971. They collaborated on songs before and after their marriage. Nandasiri's daughter Anuradha was born February 14, 1974.^[1]

Anuradha, also a musician, is currently back in Sri Lanka with her husband Nirosha Bandara.^[1]

References[link]

Sunil Edirisinghe
Sunil Edirisinghe at Sandakadapahan concert
Background information
Birth name	Patikirige Sunil Jayapreethi Edirisinghe
Born	(1949-12-19) December 19, 1949 (age 62) Colombo, Sri Lanka
Genres	Classical
Occupations	Musician
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1969 – present
Website	www.suniledirisinghe.com

Patikirige Sunil Jayapreethi Edirisinghe (born December 19, 1949 in Colombo, Sri Lanka) is a critically acclaimed Sri Lankan classical musician.

Edirisinghe won the presidential award for playback singing in 1983 for "Maya Miringuva Pirunu Lo Thale" from Adhishtanaya. He was awarded the Swarna Sankha Award for playback singing in 1988 for "Thurulaka Hurathal" from Mangala Thagga and in 1990 for "Walakulak Gena Muwa Karamu" from Saharave Sihinaya. He has also won the Sarasaviya Award for playback singing in 1988 for "Thidasa Pure" from Sandakada Pahana and in 2002 for "Poronduwa" from Poronduwa.^[1]

Life and career[link]

Early life[link]

Edirisinghe was born the youngest of seven children to Patikirige Edirisinghe and Ushettige Elizabeth Perera; he grew up in Waragoda Kelaniya amongst a blooming rubber industry.^[2]

Edirisinghe began his schooling at Sri Dharmaloka Vidyalaya in 1955. He moved on to Sapugaskanda Maha Vidyalaya in 1968 and subsequently Delgoda Kalyana Pradeepa Pirivena where he worked on his A/L exam.^[1]

Musical career[link]

After completing his secondary education in 1969, Edirisinghe began working for the Government Printing Corporation. He debuted as a playback singer that year singing "Sandakada Pahana" for his brother Satischandra's film Matara Achchi. The song was composed by Victor Ratnayake and written by Wally Nanayakkara.^[2]

Edirisinghe studied music at Visharada P.V. Nandasiri's Academy of Music and University of Laknaw, India in the early 1970s. In 1975 Edirisinghe graduated with first class honors from the prestigious Bhathkhande Academy of Music in India. He joined the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation soon after. In 1980 Edirisinghe released his first cassette Chandra Mandala.^[2]

Personal life[link]

Edirisinghe has six siblings. The eldest Dharmasri was involved in fine arts. His sister Mercy was a music teacher; his brothers Satischandra and Nimal went into film.^[3]

Edirisinghe met his future wife Nandani "Kumudu" Munasinghe on a visit to Kandy. They were married in 1979 and had their first child Sankha Chamindra Edirisinghe the following year. In 1985 their daughter Sankhani Edirisinghe was born.^[3]

References[link]

Listen to Sunil's Songs here on Request