Nalanda College Colombo {officially; Nalanda Vidalaya (කොළඹ නාලන්දා විද්‍යාලය)} is a government Buddhist school in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The college was established by P. S. Kularatne as an offshoot of Ananda College Colombo on the 1st of November 1925.

HISTORY

In 1923, the then principal of Ananda College P. S. Kularatne leased land adjoining to Ananda College playground located in Campbell Place and used huts to accommodate students. This wing of the college was run by E. W. Perera.

Later Kularatne bought lands close by and erected a building comprising 16 class rooms; two were used as laboratories and two others as the staff room and the principal’s office.

On Ananda’s 39th anniversary on 1 November 1925 this wing was registered as a separate school.

Ven.Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Thera became the first Dharmarcharya and named it “Nalanda”, while choosing “Apadana Sobhini Panna”,”අපදාන සෝහිනී පඤඤා” (“Character Illuminates Wisdom”) as the motto. L.H. Meththananda became the first principal.

Kularatne chose 330 Ananda students to be the first batch of students at Nalanda for both senior and junior schools. In 1926 Nalanada was put in the care of Professor Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera and further buildings were constructed with money borrowed from Anagarika Dharmapala.

Evolution

The college is equipped with facilities such as science & computer laboratories, lecture halls, auditoriums, hostels, etc., including Malalasekara Theatre.

The main medium of education at Nalanda is Sinhala while students have the option to select English from year seven onwards.

Nalandians have excelled academically, achieving high grades at Ordinary Level and Advanced Level exams and also in sports.

Vision :-
To gift the world great humans who are endowed with virtues and wisdom.

Mission :-
To reward mother Lanka with noble sons with balanced personality, dedicated to serve the country, nation and religion.