Ven. Keppetiyawe Sudhamma Thera, Chief Judicial Sanghanayake of the Bentara Walallawita Korale of the Amarapura Siri Saddhammawansa Maha Nikaya, passed away at the Balapitiya Base Hospital on the afternoon of October 23. He was 75 years old.
The Thera was the chief incumbent of three temples: Sri Abhinavaramaya in Akadegoda, Maha Induruwa; Sudharmaramaya in Banwelduwa; and Punyawardhanaramaya in Gamikanda, Ayagama. He also served as the Chief Administrator of Ayagama Sri Sunanda Mulika Pirivena and was a qualified Ayurvedic physician.
Born on December 14, 1950, in Keppetiyawa village in Weeraketiya, Hambantota District, as Girawagamaga Piyadasa to parents Heen Appuhamy and Ratnayake Gimarahami, he entered the Buddhist monastic order on August 8, 1968, at Sri Abhinavaramaya in Akadegoda, Induruwa.
He received higher ordination on June 2, 1974.
Throughout his life, Ven. Sudhamma Thera rendered invaluable service to the public as an Ayurvedic physician while contributing significantly to the development of temples, the advancement of Dhamma school and Pirivena education, the education of novice monks, and the progress of the Buddhist Sasana.
He guided 14 student monks into the Buddhist monastic order, including Ven. Induruwe Sujeewa Thera and Ven. Ayagama Sugunamaitree Thera.
The cremation ceremony of the late Thera is scheduled to be held tomorrow (October 26) at the Seelayans Sports Ground in Maha Induruwa.
