Pandula Andagama

Pandula Andagama (16 December 193825 March 2021 as ), was a Sri Lankan scholar, anthropologist, historian, vexillologist, and author. In a career spanned more than five decades, Andagama contributed to research on the artifacts, traditional agricultural instruments as well as culture and history of Sri Lanka.

Life Andagama was born on 16 December 1938 in the village of Tuttiripitiya in Nivithigala, Sri Lanka. His father was Andagamage Mohotti and mother was Yasohami. He had five brothers and seven sisters. His older sister took on responsibility for him when his mother died, when Andagama was four years old. Since his childhood, he had a close relationship with the village temple and took advices from Rajakeeya Panditha Henpitagedara Gnanasiha Thero.

He received his primary education from the Tuttiripitiya Kanishta Vidyalaya and then entered Karavita Maha Vidyalaya for secondary education. Later he was educated at Sivali Central College, Ratnapura for senior examination. In 1959, Pandula entered the University of Peradeniya. During this period, he was actively involved in university politics as a leftist.

He married fellow professor Malani Karunanayaka on 21 November 1963. Malani was also the Secretary of the Mahavamsa Compilation Committee. The couple had four daughters. Funeral services were held on 28 March 2021 at Beddagana Public Cemetery. He searched for antiques in the barns and chimneys of the village houses, discovering traditional furniture such as old kitchen utensils, old furniture and farm implements, establishing an anthropological deposit in the National Museum. He did special research on mammoty and plough as there are differences between such tools from Ratnapura, Monaragala and Tissamaharama.

Meanwhile, he organized many temporary exhibitions in the National Museum and popularized the museum among the public. After He resigned from his position at the National Museum in 1990, after serving for 20 years. Meanwhile, he became interested in vexillology and later co-founded the Flag Society of Sri Lanka with Prof. Nimal de Silva.

In the following years, Andagama also served as an external lecturer in many local universities. He helped to establish the National Museum of Traditional Agriculture at Gannoruwa. In 1991, he was appointed as the Director Promotion of the Central Environmental Authority in which he served for 3 years. In 2010 he became the Chairman of the Arts Council of the Department of Culture and as an Advisor to the Ministry. In his late years, he was the Senior Assistant to the Sinhala Encyclopedia.