Mr. Shamal Sachithra Wijetunga, Chief Custodian, representing the sixth generation of the Wijetunga lineage.
The historic Kadudevola Temple can be described as an ancient and magnificent sacred site, full of great miracles, and the current custodian of that sacred site is Mr. Shamal Sachithra Wijetunga.
Mr. Shamal Wijetunga, the eldest son of the current Chief Basnayake Nilame Dhankaratne Wijetunga and Mrs. Vijitha Pushpakanthi Mayadunnana, was born on April 5, 1993 in Kotte, Sri Jayewardenepura.
Having received his basic education from the NCE Buddhist College, he began studying Advanced Level subjects at the Isipathana College, Colombo. Laying the foundation for this noble responsibility inherited from his father, he began working as the Executive Director of the historic Kadudevola Siddha Rankadu Patthini Devalaya in 2018 under his father, the then Chief Trustee Kapudhurandara Kularatne Wijetunga.
Mr. Shamal Wijetunga, who had served as the temple’s executive director for many years under the guidance and advice of his father, was entrusted with all the responsibilities of the temple’s stewardship by Mr. Kularatne Wijetunga at the temple’s general assembly held on August 31, 2025.
From then on, Wijethunga assumed all responsibilities as the leader of this noble sacred place, carrying forward the pride of his generation as the 6th representative of the Kapu lineage.
As a very amiable and pious leader, taking into consideration the leadership qualities within him and the dignity inherited from his generation, with the support and blessings of his father, Mr. Kularatna Wijetunga, his mother, Mrs. Vijitha Pushpakanthi Mayadunnana, and his sister, Mrs. Ishani Umayangana Wijetunga, we hope that he will work for the future prosperity and progress of the temple, working in harmony with other shrines in the area, the residents of the area, and all devotees, and that he will dedicate himself to the advancement of this sacred place for a long time to come. May he receive the blessings of all the gods and goddesses.
Umesh
Content Writer
The Former Chief Custodian’s 43 Years of Honorable Service.
On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the current Chief Custodian of the historic Kadudevola Siddha Rankadu Pattini Temple, which has a rich history of over 500 years and performs rituals for the Goddess Pattini in the Kelani River Valley, Kapu Dhurandara Kularatne Wijetunga, we would like to present information about his 40-year mission and historical background.
Born on the 8th of November 1960, as the sixth child in a family of eight, to Evseni Bulathsinhala and David Appuhami Wijetunga, Wijetunga Lokupitumpage Don Kularatne Wijetunga completed his education at Sri Somananda Maha Vidyalaya, Korathota and started his first job as a cooperative manager.
Mr. Kularatne’s father, David Appuhami Wijethunga, the chief priest of the Kadudevola shrine at that time, passed away on the 28th of August 1983. 21 days later, from the 18th of September 1983 to this day, he has been carrying the responsibility of the temple on his shoulders and has been engaged in great and invaluable service for the development of the temple for 40 years.
Mr. Kularatne Wijetunga Kapu, who married Mrs. Vijitha Mayadunna on May 11, 1992, worked hard to create a temple that is complete in all aspects and a complete holy place, with the unwavering efforts, dedication and support of his life partner Mrs. Mayadunna.
Mr. Kularatne Wijetunga and Mrs. Vijitha Mayadunna have two children, Shamal Sachithra Wijetunga and Ishani Umayangana Wijetunga. They, along with Mr. Wijetunga, are working with dedication for the development and advancement of the temple. At present, Mr. Kularatne’s son, Shamal Wijetunga, is following in his father’s footsteps as the temple’s executive director and is supporting his father and carrying out the temple’s activities smoothly.
Mr. Kularatne Wijetunga is a strong leader with great determination and mental strength, and leadership qualities. It is clear that Mr. Kularatne Wijetunga has made great efforts to build the temple grounds step by step, considering the legacy he received from his father as a great achievement. The ability to demonstrate his unparalleled leadership qualities by leading the Kadudevola temple, which is being built day by day, and directing all the programs, can be understood by anyone through the development that the temple has achieved today.
The first fire-stepping ceremony, which was held after assuming responsibility for the temple in 1983, was held with great pomp on December 28, 1983. Since then, the Esala Perahera has been celebrated in a grand manner every year for 40 years, performing all the rituals as per the tradition.
The Devalastha Pujapahara Samithi was initiated with the beginning of 1982 and at that time it was limited to about 20 people, but today it consists of about 100 people and works with great dedication for the development of the Devalastha along with the Chief Kapu M.M. Kularatne Wijetunga throughout his 40-year tenure, presenting development plans and implementing them step by step. Another valuable thing that Mr. Wijetunga did day by day for the betterment of this holy land, establishing 18 fully equipped temples, taking steps to install a golden fence around the Bodhi wall, a pagoda, a Bodhi wall, a Buddha temple, a relic house with a museum, a two-story alms hall, a dance pavilion, a retreat hall, halls for dance groups, new temple complexes, the creation of a paththiruppuwa, a Navagraha temple and an auditorium, and many more. Another important thing that he did was to take steps to obtain a wedding elephant for the temple.
Accordingly, at the request of Mr. Kularatne Wijetunga, with the intervention of the then Minister of Human Resource Development, Education and Cultural Affairs, Mr. Karunasena Kodituwakku, and with the approval of His Excellency Ranil Wickremesinghe, who served as the Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in 2003, the Taraka Randuka elephant was offered to the temple on 5th March 2003.
Another special event that took place in 2020 under the leadership of Mr. Kularatne Wijethunga was the launch of the book “Kadudewola Siddha Patthini Rankadu Devalaya and Historical Background”, which explores the antiquity and historical background of the Rankadu Patthini Devalaya.
Mr. Wijetunga, who works very well with everyone and works closely with the monks of other temples in the area, is always praying for the welfare of the devotees and the development and progress of the temple. He is dedicated to that. We would like to express our gratitude and devotion to Mr. Kularatne Wijetunga, the current light of the fifth Kapuparapura, who has been continuously engaged in many Buddhist religious missions for 40 years and has made active contributions to them, who has turned the historical Kadudevola sacred site into a divine abode, and who has provided divine protection to the village koratuals.
