For the 5^th consecutive time in Queensland, NALANDA OBA was in the forefront again in organising the 110^th Colonel Henry Steel Olcott’s (b. 1832-Passed Away- Feb 17-1907) death anniversary at the Goodna Temple (Buddhist Vihara Queensland), with an alms giving, at a well-attended gathering of grateful past students of Buddhist Schools of Sri Lanka on February 19.

Past pupils & their families of Nalanda, Ananda, Dharmaraja, Mahinda, Anula, Sangamitta, Ananda Balika & few other schools participated in the NALANDA OBA sponsored event. Sharing of Merits is a unique tenet of Buddha Dhamma and this core practice allows honouring and being grateful to the living as well as the departed. Everyone attended accordingly honoured the founding fathers of the Buddhist schools in Sri Lanka.

With Colonel Henry Steel Olcott at the steering wheel and Anagarika Dharmapala forerunner of the revivalist movement, under the banner of the Buddhist Theosophical Society-BTS, helped establish a string of Buddhist Schools, when English mission schools were the fashion.

With Ananda Sastralaya, (Kotte 1880), claiming as the first BTS school, Ananda (1886), Mahinda (Galle 1892) Dharmaraja (Kandy, 1880) Nalanda-(1922), Visakha (1917) Sanghamitta (Galle 1919) Anula (1941) Mahamaya (Kandy 1932) were established in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. With the establishment of these Buddhist Schools, education in Sri Lanka became a catalyst of new social trends.

NALANDA OBA Queensland would like to thank everyone participated, supported to this event and looking forward to meet everyone and many more next year.

Milton Fernando.