The launching ceremony of Dr. Pandith W.D. Amaradeva Music Monastery (Asapuwa) will take place on August 28 at 10.00 am at Ape Gama premises under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Finance and Mass Media Deputy Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna said.
Addressing a press conference held at the Media Ministry Auditorium in Colombo today he said that Cabinet Ministers, family members of late Dr. Amaradeva and many others will participate.
The monastery will be constructed in a 120 perch land owned by the Urban Development Authority (UDA) at a cost of Rs. 250 million.
Cabinet approval has already been granted to allocate funds from the Treasury for this project. The monastery will be handed over to the public by 2019.
Pandith Amaradeva’s wife said that there are no words to express how happy she was about launching the project.
There are six sections in the monastery. A library will be built in the monastery with information on music, valuable books donated by foreign universities etc. the archive will have everything used by late Dr. Amaradeva and the copies of his creations. There will also be a monument erected in honour of the late Veteran Musician.
`I wish to thank the President, the Prime Minister and all for the support', Ranjan Amaradeva, son of late Dr. Amaradeva said.
Prominent artist Ravibandu Vidyapathi said that Dr. Pandith W.D.Amaradeva Music Monastery is an intellectual investment.
This will be the first ever monastery to be established in Sri Lanka in the name of a single artists. There are many such creations in the other countries.