Anagarika Dharmapala

Anagarika Dharmapāla
අනගාරික ධර්‍මපාල
Srimath Anagarika Dharmapāla
Born	17 September 1864 Colombo, Ceylon
Died	29 April 1933 (aged 68) Sarnath, British India
Nationality	Sinhalese
Other names	Don David Hevavitharane Ven. Sri Devamitta Dharmapala (after ordination)
Education	Christian College, Kotte, St Benedict's College, Kotahena, S. Thomas' College, Mutwal, Colombo Academy
Known for	Sri Lankan independence movement, revival of Buddhism, Representing Buddhism in the Parliament of World Religions (1893) / Buddhist missionary work in three continents
Parent(s)	Don Carolis Hewavitharana Mallika Dharmagunawardhana
Signature

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Anagārika Dharmapāla (Pali: Anagārika, [ɐˈnɐɡaːɽɪkɐ]; Sinhala: Anagārika, lit., Sinhala: අනගාරික ධර්‍මපාල; 17 September 1864 – 29 April 1933) was a Sri Lankan Buddhist revivalist and a writer.

Anagarika Dharmapāla is noted because he was:

• the first global Buddhist missionary
• one of the founding contributors of non-violent Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism
• a leading figure in the Sri Lankan independence movement against British rule^[1]
• a pioneer in the revival of Buddhism in India after it had been virtually extinct for several centuries
• the first Buddhist in modern times to preach the Dhamma in three continents: Asia, North America, and Europe.
• kept a close and cordial relationship with Ven. Kripasaran, a pioneer in the revival of Buddhism in Bengal and India

Along with Henry Steel Olcott and Helena Blavatsky, the creators of the Theosophical Society, he was a major reformer and revivalist of Sinhala Buddhism and an important figure in its western transmission. He also inspired a mass movement of South Indian Dalits including Tamils to embrace Buddhism, half a century before B. R. Ambedkar.^[2] In his later life, he became a Buddhist monk with the name of Venerable Sri Devamitta Dharmapala.^[3]