Winnie the Pooh, the cricket captain who went on the bus wearing the national dress
Professor Winnie Vitarana is a simple man dressed in a national costume with a smiling face. Professor Winnie Vitarana was the first Sinhala Professor to make a significant contribution to the Sinhala language, archeology and history of the University of Ruhuna. He is also a well-known player who also captained the cricket team during his university days. Winnie the Pooh says that grammar is important for language as well as skeleton. This article will give you the opportunity to learn about these advanced scholarships that many do not understand.
Life information
Winnie Vitharana was born on June 2, 1928 in Pallikkuda, Tangalle. He received his primary education at Tangalle Christian Sinhala School and Christian College. Winnie later entered Mahinda College, Galle. His contemporaries Dr. Edwin Ariyadasa and Prof. Nandadasa Kodagoda were also educated at Mahinda College. They even learned Sinhala from the English medium.
After completing Mahinda’s education in 1945, Winnie received his higher education from the University of Ceylon, Colombo. He is said to have been in constant contact with scholars such as Prof. Gunapala Malalasekera, Prof. Ratnasooriya and Prof. Jothiya Dheerasekera. Meanwhile, the young Winnie has been associated with Kumaratunga Munidasa’s Hela Hawula since the 1940s. This is due to the emergence of language-loving sentiments during the colonial period. However, he did not appear to have embraced the JHU and acted in an extremist manner. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Colombo and chose to teach as his first profession.
From teaching to university
Winnie Vitarana is also an Assistant Teacher at Mahinda College, Galle and St. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from the University of London and a Postgraduate Degree in Sinhala. He later retired from teaching and worked as an assistant editor of the Sinhala Dictionary from 1957-59.
He joined the University of Sri Jayewardenepura in 1960 as an Assistant Lecturer. Winnie worked there for 22 years. At the same time in 1960 he obtained his PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies in Sinhala and Archeology from the University of Peradeniya.
The last disciple of Paranavithana
“I am the last disciple of Professor Senarath Paranavithana. I don’t think he had another student after him. He passed away two years after my association with him. I have never had such a sad day. We associated with many scholars in Sri Lanka. But looking at his character traits from beginning to end, they are all related to a scholar.
Paranavithana taught us about research methods. He did research. We were not told to do this here like today. Modern people have not read Paranavithana’s articles in particular. What is that? Fortunately or unfortunately because I do not know English. Paranavithana wrote all the books in English. In a universal English language. ”
Winnie Vitarana said so at a Paranavithana memorial lecture (Archaeologist .lk).
He also holds a PhD from the University of London. Studying Kumaratunga’s Language Literature Service. He entered the University of Ruhuna in 1981 as the first Professor in the Department of Sinhala. He served there until his retirement in 1993. The University of Ruhuna has conferred an honorary professorship on Prof. Vitarana in recognition of his service.
Lots of research
Professor Winnie often criticized university professors for not doing research. He has authored numerous research papers and books in English on a variety of subjects, including Oru and Yatra (1992) and Sri Lanka – Maldives Cultural Relations (1997). His research on the Sun and Moon (Sun and Moon in Sinhala Cultural Science in 1997) has been highly praised.
Winnie Vitarana, considered to be one of the foremost scholars of the Sinhala language in the island, was deeply saddened by the collapse of the Sinhala language today.
“There are no scholars like then to create a standard Sinhala that can be implemented. There are so-called scholarly meetings. But they can’t do this. It is clear from reading their articles that even those who teach Sinhala grammar cannot do grammar. Much of what Sinhala professors and professors write about grammar today is a lie. He once said.
Literary Awards for Outstanding Athlete
He is good at playing cricket. He also served as the captain of the Dr. Cricket team at the University of Colombo. He was also a member of the committee that designated volleyball as a national sport in 1991. There he showcased his athletic knowledge. In 1962 he received the UNESCO Literary Prize, the Kalakirti State Literary Award, the Sarvodaya Award, the Arts Council Award, the Rohana Ransilu Award and the Sahitya Ratna Award.
Two PhDs in Sinhala
Professor Winnie Vitarana, who holds two doctorates for his research on the Sinhala language and literature, has translated many world-renowned books such as “Light of Asia”, “Gitanjali” and “Rubaiyat” into Sinhala, manipulating both English and Sinhala. He researched the Sinhala language and literature and passed on that knowledge to the next generation.
Professor Winnie, an author, translator, critic as well as a linguist, translated Sinhala works into English and translated English books into Sinhala. He has also written a book of poems called Megharaga. He also received a Gratitude Award for translating Kawsilumina into English.
Lots of posts
Professor Winnie Vitarana was the Chairman of the Ceylon Arts Council from 1991-1994. He was also the Editor-in-Chief of the Sinhala Dictionary from 2001-2004. He was the Chairman of the Sinhala Literary Council from 1970-1977 and the President of the Sri Lanka Archaeological Association from 2007.
Professor Winnie Vitarana is also a prolific speaker. He has lectured not only in Sri Lanka but also in France, England, Japan, Hong Kong, India, Russia, Maldives and Delhi, Jaipur, Bangalore, Calcutta and Allahabad, India for the 1992 SAARC Games.
Professor Winnie Vitarana passed away on December 2, 2019. He was 91 years old at the time. At the time of his death he was living in a house on Mount Lavinia Road.
Work in the last days too
Professor Winnie did not spend his last days in vain. He translated many of our classical works into English, such as Sasada, Muwadevdawa, Kawsilumina, Gira Sandesha, Salalihini Sandesha and Mayura Sandesha. He also translated the Saddharmaratnavaliya, one of the greatest prose literary works in the country, into English.
Professor Winnie Vitarana once received this award at the Scholars’ Awards in Galle. The event was organized by GM. A group including Kavi Ajith. When Professor Winnie received the award, Ajith bowed to the poet. The poet Ajith paid homage to Prof. Winnie Vitarana as follows.
Duty done but possible
Which one do I worship?
I only tied one foot to this tomb
I can’t even touch that butterfly mountain’