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Message: <blockquote data-quote="netlife007" data-source="post: 16946255" data-attributes="member: 79514">[FONT=&quot]BUDDHIST DEFENCE  COMMITTEE  [/FONT] [FONT=&quot]On January 28, 1884,  ten years after the Panadura debate, with the initiative of Sri Sumangala   Nayaka Thera, Mohottiwatte Gunananda Thera and Colonel Olcott and the  active participation of many lay Buddhist leaders, the “ Buddhaarakshaka  Committee or Buddhist Defense Committee was inaugurated at a meeting held at the  Vidyodaya Pirivena in Maligakande. Its primary objective was the safeguarding  Buddhist interests. Muhandiran A. P. Dharma Gunawardana, Don Carolis  Hewavitharana, H. A. Fernando, Carolis Pujitha Gunawardana were elected as the  office-bearers of the committee while Colonel Henry Steele Olcott served as an  honorary member. This Committee drew up six demands which were submitted to the  British government through Colonel Olcott who visited England personally for the  purpose in February 1884. [/FONT] [FONT=&quot] [/FONT] [FONT=&quot]Subsequently a sub  committee comprising Mohottiwatte Gunananda Thera,  Hikkaduwa Sri  Sumangala Thera, Don Carolis Hewavitharana, A.P. Dharma Gunawardana, William de  Abrew, Carolis Pujitha Gunawardana, Charles A. de Silva, N. S. Fernando, Peter  de Abrew and William Fernando was set up to look into the possibility of  designing a prestigious symbol of identity for the Buddhists. The blue, yellow,  red, white and orange coloured flag designed by Carolis Pujitha Gunawardana was  unanimously accepted by the committee as the most appropriate symbol of identity  of the Buddhists.[/FONT] [FONT=&quot] [/FONT] [FONT=&quot] [/FONT] [FONT=&quot]THE BUDDHIST  FLAG*[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]Mohottiwatte  Gunananda Thera hoisted the five coloured Buddhist flag for the first time at  the Deepaduththaramaya Temple in Kotahena on the Vesak Full-moon Poya day of  April 28, 1885. On this historic day, the sermon given by him to thousands of  Buddhists is considered as one of his best. The flag was also hoisted at the  Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya, Hunupitiya Gangaramaya, Vidyodaya Pirivena and at  the headquarters of the Buddhist Theosophical Society in Colombo. Anagarika  Dharmapala hoisted the Buddhist flag at the Buddha Gaya temple on the Esala Full  Moon Day in 1891. This flag is recognized and adopted today as the Buddhist flag  of the entire international Buddhist community representing all Buddhist  traditions.   [/FONT] [FONT=&quot] [/FONT] [FONT=&quot] [/FONT] [FONT=&quot]PUBLIC  HOLIDAYS[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]The Buddhist Defense  Committee was instrumental in obtaining the approval of the British colonial  government to restore the Vesak Poya holiday enjoyed by Buddhists since historic  times, which was abolished by the Dutch in 1770 and also the traditional Sinhala  New Year holiday. Vesak Poya was declared a public holiday on April 28, 1885 and  a month earlier the Sinhala  New Year day was declared a public  holiday. Vesak celebrations were held on a grand scale in 1885 throughout the  country [/FONT] [FONT=&quot] [/FONT]</blockquote>

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