Sri Chandraratne Manawasinghe

Chandraratne Dios Sooriyarachchi Mohotti (19 June 1913 – 4 September 1964 as ), popularly known as Chandraratne Manawasinghe, was a Sinhala scholar, poet, philosopher and writer. Considered one of the iconic poets in Sinhala poetry, Manawasinghe made several popular poems and songs in the short career that spanned three decades.

Personal life Manawasinghe was born 19 June 1913 in the village of Puwakdandawa in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. His father John Gerrad Sooriyarachchi Mohotti alias Baddegama Hamu was a farmer. His mother Punchi Ethana Obadaarachchi was a housewife. He received his primary education at the Sri Pagnananda Buddhist Mixed School in Beliatta and was later ordained in 1924 at the Panchathuparamaya in Puwakdanda as Puwakdandawe Sri Chandaratana Thero. After that he lived in Kiravehera Rajamaha Viharaya where there was a conflict between the two parties over the ownership of Kiravehera. However, due to the crisis situation in the temple, he fled to the jungle and left the clergy. After returning to Dambulla from the jungle, he wandered to Colombo and from there to Negombo. He visited the Angurukaramulla Bodhirama in Negombo and was ordained as Puwakdandawe Sri Chandraratana Dhammaloka Tissa for the second time by the Chief Incumbent, Ven. Medhankara Thero of Negombo.

Career During his second time as a Buddhist monk at the age of 22, he started writing letters to 'Lakmini Pahana' in which the chief editor was Kumaratunga Munidasa.

He was also a prolific poet who used the words that are not commonly used by poets to express their ideas. Some of his popular songs and poems include: "Kusum Pipi Athu Pathare", "Valithara Athare Hemihita Basina", "Monawada Amme Akuru Jathiyak", "Somnasa Ho Santhapaya Hamuwe", "Guru gedarata yana athara maga" and "Jagan Mohini Madhura Bhashini".