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Heroes of Sri Lanka

Our heroes are the true sons of Sri Lankan soil who would never stand against the country. They came forward for the country out of the common people, giving them leadership, in many occasions that the country very badly wanted them. Our country witnessed many heroic characters during the war from 1975 to 2009 against terrorism and the separatist ideologies. I am not talking about the list of official national heroes declared by the government. My concern is about those people who sincerely dedicated and sacrificed their lives to protect the country, its people,and its interests. I am trying to present my own list of such characters here, whom to my conscience are the true heroes of our country.

(Please be notified that more names will be added to the list below in future, and the pictures above represent only a part of the heroes listed below.)

Great Kings

• Pandukabhaya (437-380 BC)
• Dutugemunu (161-137 BC)
• Walagamba (104 BC and 88-76 BC)
• Parakramabahu the Great (1164-1197 AD)

Rebels Against British imperialism

• Monarawila Keppetipola Adikaram (Killed by the British 26th November, 1818)
• Kivulegedara Mohottala (Killed by the British 18th December, 1818)
• Bootawe Rate Rala
• Puran Appu (Killed by the British 8th August, 1848)
• Gongalegoda Banda (Died in exile 1st December, 1849)
• Kudapola Thero
• Wariyapola Sri Sumangala Thero (Commemoration on 2nd March)

Activists of the National Liberation Movement

• Migettuwatte Gunananda Thero (Passed away 21st September, 1890)
• Anagarika Dharmapala (Passed away 29th April, 1933)
• Edward Henry Pedris (Killed by the British 7th July, 1915)
• S. Mahinda Thero (Passed away 16th March, 1951)
• Philip Gunawardena (Died 26th March, 1972)
• S. A. Wickramasinghe (Died 25th August, 1981)
• Udakendawela Saranankara Thero
• E. W. Adikaram (Died 28th December, 1985)

Against Tamil terrorism (LTTE)

• Cpl. Gamini Kularathna (Hasalaka Gamini) (Died in action 10th July, 1991)
• Lt. Gen. Denzil Kobbekaduwa (Died in action 8th August, 1992)
• Maj. Thuvan Nizam Mutalif (Died in action  31st May, 2005)
• Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar (Assassinated by LTTE 12th August, 2005)
• Cpl. Ranjith Premasiri (Nero) (Died in action 28th April, 2009)
• Lt. Col. Lalith Jayasinghe (Died in action 26th November, 2008)

Other Prominent Characters in history

• Thotagamuwe Sri Rahula Thero (Passed away in 1491, exact date not available)
• Colonel Henry Steel Olcott (Died 17th February, 1907)
• Welivita Sri Saranankara Sangharaja Thero (Passed away 9th July, 1778)
• Ananda Maithreya Thero (Passed away 18th July, 1998)