Grandpass

During the Portuguese administration in Sri Lanka, the area was named Grande Passo. The name was anglicised during the British administration to become Grandpass. It was also known as Groote Pas, Pas Nacollegam and Pas van Goensdorp to the Dutch people.

In the late 1800s Samuel Perera Jayatilaka (Ship Chandler) built the Sri Jayatilakaramaya Viharaya on Swarna Chaitya road. He had 13 children (7 sons and 6 daughters) including 3 sons who were lawyers Alfred Walter Perera Jayatilaka, Albert Edward Perera Jayatilaka & Samuel Victor Perera Jayatilaka. A.E.P Jayatilaka (Lawyer) had one son and one daughter Dr. Ananda Dasan Perera Jayatilaka & Lakshmi Jayatilaka. Dr. Ananda D.P Jayatilaka was a medical doctor and did his PhD in anatomy in 1964 at University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He was also Dean of the medical school of the University of Peradeniya (1973-1975) in Kandy and he attended Royal College Colombo 7. Descendants of the Jayatilaka family now live in Australia and Canada.

The Temple houses a Daddimunda Deviyo Shrine, Bodhi Tree, Navagraha Statue and 3 Devi shrines. The Temple has been maintained by 5 generations of Monks. Who teach dhamma at the local school. The temple is a testimony to the principles and values of Buddhism having survived so many generations. The temple and monks have impacted many lives in their ongoing service to the residents nearby over centuries. It is a historic landmark in the area. The care and maintenance of the temple grounds and of the local school are thanks to the clergy who have looked after the property well.

2. Ceylon Government Gazette (1912) ‘Ceylon Government Gazette’, Ceylon Government Gazette, 19 April.

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