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Mahanama College is located in Kollupitiya, Colombo, with its main entrance from Richard Aluwihare de Mel Mawatha, Colombo 3. The southern boundary of the campus adjoins Church Missionary Society Ladies' College.[1]
History
Mahanama College was founded on 5 January 1954 by Ven. Maawiththara Rewatha Thero at the Walukarama Temple in Kollupitiya, with an initial enrollment of five students.[2] The school relocated to the site at Walukarama after initially operating from nearby locations, with primary classes temporarily held at Thurstan College. In 1956, the school was registered as a government-assisted junior school.
In the mid-1970s, the Sri Lankan government allocated approximately 2.8ha (6.9 acres) of land to support expansion.[2] By 1976, the campus included several two-storey academic buildings, with facilities such as additional classrooms and a dental unit added during this period.[2]
During the 1990s, the school expanded its extracurricular and inter-school activities. The annual school carnival, Foot-Loose, was introduced,[citation needed] and the Battle of the Golds, the annual cricket match between Mahanama College and D. S. Senanayake College, was initiated in 1999.[3] A three-floor building incorporating an art gallery was also completed in 1999.[citation needed]
As a national school, the college receives funds from the Ministry of Education. The ministry appoints the principal who leads an administration that consists of vice principals and academic staff. The school is divided into three levels of education: primary school, middle school, and upper school, and each section has its own head.
Mahanama College only admits Buddhist students. Sinhala is the language of instruction in the school, though students can choose between Sinhala and English as their language of instruction for higher education.[5] The school's motto is Vidvān Sarvatra Pūjyate, which means the scholar is respected everywhere.[citation needed]
Principals
Ven. Vahalle Dhammananda Thero (1954–1960)
J. D. A. Jayakody (1960–1968)
N. E. Fernando (1968–1974)
T. S. Silva (1974–1976)
K. N. P. de Silva (1976–1986)
D. G. Sumanasekara (1986–1990)
K. K. Ratnadasa (1990–1999)
G. Liyanage (1999–2003)
W. H. Premalal Kumarasiri (2003–2012)
U. M. Prasanna Upashantha (2013–2016)
L. M. D. Dharmasena (2016–2020)
R. A. R. M. Rathnayake (2020–2021)
A. M. A. A. C. Perera (2021–2023)
Prabath Withanage (2023–present)
School houses
Students are divided into four houses, whose names are derived from the Sanskrit language.[6]
Joy, or more specifically, sympathetic or vicarious joy; taking pleasure in other people's well-being.
Upekha
The Buddhist concept of equanimity.
Sports
Eighteen sports are played at Mahanama College.[7]
Cricket
Mahanama College established its first U11 cricket team in 1979, with the help of coach Vernon Perera and principal K. N. P. de Silva.[citation needed]
Mahanama College has achieved significant success in school cricket, including being crowned the best team of the Western Province in Division One - Tier "A" for the 2023/24 season,[citation needed] winning the SLSCA Under-13 Division II Cricket Tournament,[citation needed] and reaching the U19 Division 1 Limited Over tournament.[citation needed]
Achievements and milestones
Champions of Singer U17 Division I Schools Cricket Tournament in 2019.[8][9]
Champions in the U13 Division II Schools Cricket Tournament in 2024.[10]
Runners up in Sri Lanka U17 Division I Schools Cricket Tournament 2025.[11][12]
Champions of Sri Lanka U19 Division 1 Schools Cricket Tournament 2025.[13][14]
Battle of the Golds
The Battle of the Golds, which began in 2007, is an annual cricket contest between D. S. Senanayake College and Mahanama College,[citation needed] which attracts large crowds from both schools to the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground.[15] Ahead of the match, the Old Boys' Association of Mahanama College organise the 'Golden Parade', a vehicle parade through the streets of Colombo with decorated Double-decker buses, trucks, cars, SUVs, and motorbikes, accompanied by music and dancing.[16]
The T20 Encounter of Battle of the Golds is a friendly rivalry T20 cricket match between Mahanama College and D. S. Senanayake College. The First T20 Encounter was held in 2025, organised as a tribute to K. N. P. de Silva, former principal of Mahanama College who played a main role in the development of the school from 1976 to 1986 (10 years),[citation needed] for the K. N. P. de Silva Memorial Trophy.[25][26][27]
Rugby began at Mahanama College in 1986. The school were runners-up in the all-island Division One Tournament in 1994/1995, and again runners-up in the Premier Division 01 – Segment "B" in 2008/2009.[citation needed]
In 2024, the school was crowned champions of the Premier Trophy in 2024, defeating Ananda College, and won the championship title in Division 1 Segment B of the Dialog Schools Rugby League, earning them a spot in the top-tier league for 2025.[citation needed] In the 2025 season, they finished runners-up of The Bowl Segment of Division One Group "A" in the Dialog Schools Rugby League.[29][30] They secured their first victory in the Dialog Schools Rugby League in 2025.[31]
Several alumni of the college have represented the Sri Lanka national rugby union team, including Kapila Knowlton (1994), Mithun Hapugoda and Darshana Dabare (2019).[32][33]
Basketball
In the 2019, 2nd semi-final of the Boys' U17 All Island "B" Division Basketball Championship, the team was awarded 3rd place.[34]
The Battle of the Golds basketball encounter takes place every year where Mahanama College compete with D. S. Senanayake College.[35]
Boxing
The Boxing Committee was founded on 2014. Mahanamian boxers became the champions of the 43rd L.V. Jayaweera Interschool meet in 2016,[36] where Kasun Fernandoe was also named "best boxer",[37] and again at the 46th L.V. Jayaweera Interschool meet in 2022,[38][39] where the college's boxing coach, Y. M. Anura Yapa, was also awarded best coach.[40]
In 2019, the team achieved a 3rd place overall at the All-Island Junior Boxing Championship, bringing home a gold, silver, and bronze medal.[41]
W.T.L.M. Abeysekera, R.I.R. Perera, K.A.V.S. Karavita, and H.S. Nambuwasam were among the college's winning boxers in the Stubbs Shield Boxing Championship, in the Junior and Youth Boys categories.[when?][42]St. Sylvester's College was the eventual winner, securing their fourth consecutive title. The tournament saw nearly 500 boxers from 132 schools competing.
Athletics
The college's athletics program is rooted in its tradition of holistic education, which assigns equal importance to physical fitness as to intellectual development.[43][44]
Athletes from Mahanama College won merit certificate awards in four age groups (under 12, 13, 14, and 15) at the John Tarbet Junior Athletic Meet held in October 2016 at Embilipitiya.[44]
Societies
Mahanama College Media Unit
The Media Unit of Mahanama College (MCMU) was established in 1987,[45] as one of the first school media units in Sri Lanka. The MCMU runs a YouTube channel with 95 videos and over 7000 subscribers.[46] The MCMU website was awarded in Sri Lanka's BestWeb.lk web design competition in 2020,[47] and has received numerous awards at Zonal, Provincial and National Levels.[48] CHATHURMANA is the college's annual Media Day, organized by the MCMU.[49][50]
Leo Club
The Mahanama Leo Club was founded in 1987, operating under Leo District 306 D7.[51] In 2024/2025, the club was named the most outstanding school-based Leo Club in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, as well as in Leo District 306 C2.[citation needed]
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