Deserts are famous for many reasons, from its sand and camels to its abundance in oil. How these sandy deserts transformed to green farms and lush gardens is an exemplary wonder that puzzles the rest of the world. The material development and enrichments in the human resources is hard to compare with the developing world. As a result, the quality of lifestyle of the desert has now evolved over a period to its pinnacle, today. The secret behind this transformation owes to nothing but the visionary leadership of the patriotically dedicated leaders of these sandy oil rich countries. Out of the countries in this region, the United Arab Emirates has a special place in the map with regard to all these aspects. The innovative and compassionate approach by the leaders of the UAE made a big cultural and social shift among the 180-plus various communities living in the UAE.
We, Sri Lankans, would be the one of the smallest communities living in harmony among the many in the UAE. However, the impact and the contribution rendered by this tiny community are remarkable compared with all others. Within this minute community, a group of passionate Sri Lankans called the “Old Mahindians” from the southern tip of Sri Lanka, numbering less than 100, are making a massive impact to the Southern port city of Galle.
In this story line, Old Mahindians in the UAE gathered among them in early 1998 to pay their debt to their second mother; their sole alma mater. With a significant contribution to the very first school bus project to the college where they all studied, the Old Mahindians began their mission to pay back to their second home; Mahinda College, Galle.
Since 1998, boys from the capital of southern Sri Lanka, Galle, never took rest, were on the move and have continually been so far the last 20 years. Their journey of pay back to their ever-loving place on Earth, Mahinda College, is filled of all sorts of activities. They started with a school bus, then rolled into cricket, hockey, chess, library books, camping gadgets for scouts, college blazers for whole school, supporting the fellow Mahindians in need in the form scholarships, helping the Mahindians socially in the form of medical support and other various needs, providing musical instruments, supporting college drama and photography clubs, and also becoming a key partner of the annual college prize giving ceremony. In overall, these activities amounted to LKR 5,600,000 in monetary value; however, the sentimental spiritual value of them is an invaluable to the Old Mahindians. The flow of generosity and payback by the Old Mahindians from the sandy deserts of the UAE still continues and will continue forever wherever they are.
To celebrate the 20 years existence of Old Mahindians since 1998 in the UAE, they thought to cast their celebrations in stone for the future generations of Mahindians. With the classic sessions of brain storming among all of them, they finally came up with the idea to mark their existence in the school premises.
It is a novel way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Old Mahindians in the UAE and their existence in the holy-land of Mahinda College. It was a tribute not only to their alma mater, but for the founder of the number of Buddhists schools in Sri Lanka; Ananda, Nalanda, Dharmaraja, Maliyadewa and Mahinda among some of them. The occasion was also used to pay the respect to our motherland. Having a statue of the founder of Mahinda College anywhere in the Island is a pride, not only to the Mahindians but also for all the old boys and girls of the Olcott schools and Sri Lankan as a whole. Having our national anthem which was first composed and sung in Mahinda College and having cast the college song in stone side by side is an example of our rich heritage for our future generations.
The Old Mahindians casting their existence of the UAE in the school premises is a memorable occasion. Their 20th anniversary monument is of none other than the founder of Mahinda College; Colonel Henry Steel Olcott and both the college song and the national anthem side by side with the Olcott statue.
- The statue was designed by Dr. Manoranjana Herath.
- Height of the statue is 4 feet and 9 inches.
- Pedestal height of the statue is 4 feet and 6 inches.
- Total Height is 9 feet and 6 inches.
- Opening date Sunday the 23rd March 2019
By Ajantha Premarathna