The National Secretariat for Elders has officially recognized Bolland Hakuru Meniyel, a resident of Karandeniya in the Galle District, as Sri Lanka’s oldest living male at the age of 110.
According to his national identity card, Meniyel was born on June 4, 1915, in the Angulugalla Grama Niladhari Division under the Karandeniya Divisional Secretariat. He has lived his entire life in the area, dedicating himself to agriculture, cinnamon cultivation, and village community service.
District Secretary W.A. Dharmasiri recently visited Meniyel’s home to present gifts and inquire after his well-being. Meniyel also receives the government’s Centenarian Allowance.
Despite his advanced age, Meniyel remains in good health and can still read and write, having studied up to Grade 5. His family credits his long life to a simple lifestyle and a diet free of toxins. Locals remember him for his active participation in religious events, particularly village pirith ceremonies, which he attended regularly until the age of 75.
Meniyel, the father of nine children, is regarded as a proud symbol of Galle’s heritage, carrying with him more than a century of memories and traditions.
