Wariyapola Sri Sumangala

Wariyapola Sri Sumangala Thero
Statue of Most Ven.Sri Sumangala Maha Thero
Religion	Buddhism
School	Theravada
Lineage	Siam Sect
Personal
Nationality	Sri Lankan
Born	Wariyapola, Sri Lanka
Senior posting
Title	Anunayaka (Asigiriya Chapter)

Wariyapola Sri Sumangala (Sinhala:වාරියපොල ශ්‍රි සුමංගල) was a Buddhist monk who lived in the early 19th century in Sri Lanka (then known as Sinhale). He was an Anunayaka of the Asigiriya Chapter. Sri Sumangala is known for taking down the Union Jack and re-hoisting the Sinhalese lion flag,before the convention that handed over control of the country to the British in 1815. Later during the rebellion of 1818, he removed the Tooth Relic of the Buddha from the Temple of the Tooth, and handed it over to the leaders of the rebellion. He was arrested and convicted for treason the same year.

Sumangala was born as Bamunakotuve Ralahamige Kirihami, in the village of Wariyapola in the Kurunegala district. His father's name was Herath Mudiyanselage Bamunakotuve Rala. Kirihami was ordained as a Buddhist monk in the Asgiriya Chapter of the Siam Nikaya by a monk named Navinne Dhammadassi, and named Wariyapola Sri Sumangala (Sri Sumangala of Wariyapola). He later obtained Upasampada as well. He quickly rose through the hierarchy of the Nikaya, and was eventually appointed an anunayaka—a sub-chief monk second to the mahanayaka— of the Asgiriya Chapter. He was the chief monk of the Sailathalaarama in Wariyapola, now named after him as Sri Sumangala Pirivena Raja Maha Viharaya.

In 1815, Sinhalese leaders drew up the Kandyan Convention with the British, handing over control of the country to them. On the day this agreement was to be signed (2 March 1815) at the Temple of the Tooth, a British soldier had taken down the Sinhalese flag and hoisted the Union Jack. Sri Sumangala had taken it down and raised the Sinhalese flag again, declaring that until the convention was signed the country still belonged to the Sinhalese and their flag will fly until that time. This "Sinahalese flag" is believed to be the lion flag used by the last rulers of the country, and this event is mentioned in the books recording the history of the Asgiriya Chapter.