Profile

Mahanama Vidyalaya was started as a pirivena in 1907 and it is the most popular school in Monaragala district in Uva province in Sri Lanka. The school consists of a primary and a secondary section with classes ranging from Grade 1 to 13.

At present there are approximately 2500 students on roll with a qualified academic staff of 125. Students are enrolled to Grade 6 and Grade 12. Subjects are offered in singhala medium for all Grades and in English medium from Grade 6 upwards under the national curriculum.

History of the School

It was in 1907 that Mahanama College has been firstly established in a land owned by Shri Sudarmananda temple which is in front of the Mahanama College at present. But a definite date or a day can't be mentioned because there was no proper maintenance of log reports in those times. When Mahanama College was established, there were no any schools in this area to learn even a letter. There are evidences to prove that the British have not considered on the education of Wellassa students.

The frist principal was Ven. Obbegoda Thanhankara thero. Though this school has been conducted as a Pirivena, only for priests in that era, later the ordinary students also were fortunate to get a good education there. But it was only for boys. Mahanama College has been conducted in the land owned by Shri Sudarmananda Viharaya from 1907 to 1925

Next, the school has been established in a personal land owned by Mr. E. Martin Korala in Wiharamulla under a project carried out by Sri. Anagarika Dharmapala and Sir Henry Olcott. Our school was upgraded to a government mixed school in 1925. Mr. A. H. V. Aththanayake has worked as the principal of the school at that time. There were only 50 students in that time and they have studied in halls roofed with coconut leaves. Most of the time only the boys had come to school and they wore only sarongs. This has been said by a student named Appuhami.

Then the Mahanama college was established in the place where now the primary college is situated because the before mentioned place is a personal land. In that time, there were about 80 students. There are no any facts about the principal who was in charge of the school in that time and the log report in 28/04/1944 mention that Mr. S. A. Jayasena as the principal.

After all, the Mahanama College was established at the present place in 1960. The reason to take the school here was that Mahanama College was starting to lead the school as a Maha Vidyala in 1960. With the establishment of the school in present place, the secondary classes also were established. The first principal there was Mr.Vanduragala. It's sure that the school will not be conducted in another place and this will be the permanent place of our loving school, Mahanama National College .

Past Principals