Summary
I have included here the translation of a published account of the life of Dhammāwatī Hewavitarane:
GOOD WISHES ON HER BIRTHDAY
Hlththatiya Dhammāwatī Hewavitarane Sll Mītīva
We bestow our respectable gratitude upon Dhammāwātī Hewavitarane Sil Mātā of the Srī Rahula Mātā Ārāmaya situated in Grandpass, Colombo 14, founder of the Helen Ranawake Ārāmaya of Kottawa, Pannipitiya, and founder member of Dhammāwatī Hewavitarane Home for aged lay nuns, who is celebrating her seventy-fifth birthday and sixty-fifth year of observing sil.
In 1906, on December 20, the head of our lay nunnery, Rosalin Hewavitarane, was born. Her father and mother were Don Charles Hewavitarane and Glisa Hamy Hewavitarane, respectively. In 1916, Miss Hewavitarane left her parents and observed sil under the guidance of Saddhammācārī Sīlavatī at the Srī Rahula Mātā Ārāmaya. From that day onwards, she learned the religion, devoting her life to pious activities and attending to her aged teacher. When her teacher passed away, she took over as the head lay nun of the Srī Rahula Mātā Ārāmaya and continued to render great service to the Buddhist religion. We would like to put into writing a little of the great service done by her:
(1) For the welfare of the ladies of the Colombo area, a “Kulangana Samitiya” was formed to help in wedding and funeral expenses.
(2) Publishing of Srī Rahula Mātā Magazine once every three months.
(3) Organizing and running of the lay nunnery for over 20 years.
(4) Conducting the Srī Yāśodārā Danasala in front of the Lankārāma at Anurādhapura for 12 years.
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- Women under the Bo TreeBuddhist nuns in Sri Lanka, pp. 195 - 201Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1994