The 126th birth anniversary of General Sir John Lionel Kotelawala (Companion of Honour, Knight of the British Empire, Doctor of Law), the third Prime Minister of Independent Sri Lanka and the patron of General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, was commemorated yesterday (04 April 2023).
The ceremony was held at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University with the participation of Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana as the Chief Guest.
The ceremony commenced with a solemn floral tribute at the statue of General Sir John Kotelawala by the Chief Guest, and other dignitaries, including the Chancellor of KDU, General Shantha Kottegoda (Retd), the Vice Chancellor of KDU, Major General Milinda Peiris and Mr. Weera Mangala Kotelawala, who represented the kinsmen family of General Sir John Kotelawala.
The occasion was made even more significant by the awarding of scholarships sponsored by the Sir John Kotelawala Memorial Society. The scholarships were awarded to deserving children selected from Piliyandala Sir John Kotelawala School and Kandawala Navodya School among the children of KDU employees.
The event was attended by Chancellor of KDU, General Shantha Kottegoda (Retd), the Vice Chancellor of KDU, Major General Milinda Peiris, Staff members, Kinsmen of General Sir John Kotelawala, KDU alumni and Officer Cadets.
