Senaka Weeraratna

Madhava Chandrakirti Perera, a multi talented old boy of Royal College, passed away on August 19, 2024, at the age of 75 years.

He was the son of Mr. & Mrs. J.D.P. Perera, husband of Sreema, father of Vasabha, and brother of Manel.

The funeral of Madhava Perera was held on Thursday August 22 at the General Cemetery, Kanatte, Borella at 4.00 pm.

The remains were kept for viewing at The Respect Jayaratne Funeral Parlour, Borella on Thursday August 22.

Some recollections of Madhava at school

Royal College ‘ 3A’ Class ( Part of RC 1960 Batch) excursion to Gampaha in 1962

When we were in Class 3A with Mr. Lennie de Silva as our Class Master in the year 1962, our class mate Madhava Perera very kindly invited the class of ‘3A’ plus anyone else from the 1960 batch in other parallel classes to visit his ancestral house in Gampaha. We then organised an excursion to Gampaha.

This ancestral house was then jointly owned by Mr. J.D.P. Perera (Madhava’s father) and Mr. J.D.A. Perera (1897 – 1967) Madhava’s uncle. It was a huge house with 14 bedrooms with attached bathrooms  to each and every bedroom. It was situated about 3 kilometers away from the Gampaha Botanical Gardens.

The original owner of this property was Madhava’s grandfather J.D. John Perera, who is reputed to have owned half of Gampaha.   

Madhava’ s uncle J.D.A. Perera was a famous portrait painter and teacher of art. He was the Principal of the Government College of Fine Arts. He also produced a series of historical plays. He was awarded the Honour of CBE (Commander of the British Empire) by the British Government. A road next to Ananda College, Colombo has been named ‘ J.D.A. Perera Mawatha’.

In addition a fine gallery located at the Faculty of Visual Arts which was built in conformity with international standards, fulfilling a long felt need for a fully-fledged gallery in Sri Lanka for local and foreign art lovers, was established a few years back. The Gallery which constitutes a realization of a dream of generations of students and well-wishers was named after J. D. A. Perera, being an artist of international repute who had established a systematic study of Arts in Sri Lanka. It is a four floor space gallery. It is located at 46 Horton Place, Colombo 07.

Madhava’s father was J.D.P. Perera. He was the Principal of Lorenz College, which had branches in both Gampaha and Maradana ( Skinner’s Road). The founder of this Lorenz College was Madhava’s grandfather J.D. John Perera. It had a distinguished teaching staff which included Dr. N.M. Perera and R.S. Perera (former M.P. for Kelaniya). Its most distinguished student was R. Premadasa, the former President of Sri Lanka ( 1988 – 1993).  Madhava’s father J.D.P. Perera was awarded the MBE ( Member of the British Empire) by the British colonial Govt. for his monumental services to the field of secondary school education in the country.
 
It is said that National Volleyball in Sri Lanka was inaugurated at the Lorenz College in Gampaha.

In the early 1960s Madhava used to reside with his parents and sister in Arbuthnot Street, Borella in a well maintained house with a beautifully landscaped large garden. His school friends counted it as a great privilege to be invited to his lovely birthday parties.

Arbuthnot Street was later re-named as Chandralekha Mawatha  in honour of the famous dancer and wife of the portrait painter J.D.A. Perera.

After both his father and uncle had passed away Madhava’s mother sold their ancestral property in Gampaha and built three Buddhist temples with the proceeds of the Sale.

Madhava continued the family tradition of philanthropy.  He was awarded the high honour of Deshamanya Acharya by a reputed committee of 100 Buddhist monks and lay persons.

Madhava has also other claims for peer recognition – he is one of the pioneers of the 1960 Royal College Batch re- unions commencing in 1974.

Madhava also served as the Assistant Secretary of the German Dharmaduta Society (GDS), which was founded by Asoka Weeraratna in 1952. Madhava has visited the Berlin Vihara in Germany which is owned and managed by the GDS.

May he attain the Supreme Bliss of Nibbana

Senaka Weeraratna