Nilanga Dela once more the Chief Custodian

Pradeep Nilanga Dela Bandara has been re-elected as the Chief Custodian of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy.
301 persons including several Buddhist monks were scheduled to vote in the election yesterday morning.

Acting Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela Bandara secured 205 votes while his rivals Neranjan Wijerathna and Custodian of Kandy Sri Natha Devale Gayan Hashila Heenkenda secured 53 and 31 votes respectively.

19 Lay Custodians have functioned in this post since 1814, and Nilanga Dela Bandara was elected as the 20th Chief Custodian for a tenure of another 10 years.

150 Chief Incumbents of 16 districts belonging to the ancient upcountry kingdom, 150 lay caretakers, 31 rural Devale custodians, and 120 Divisional Secretaries were entitled to vote in this election.

Buddhist Affairs Commissioner General Chandraprema Gamage acted in charge of the election.

Ambakka Kataragama Devalaya Custodian Sudantha Senanayake, Chamila Konara and Kaushal Dela also contested the election.

According to the age-old traditions, the names of prospective contestants should be proposed and seconded beforehand.

However, Chamila Konara and Sudantha Senanayake were compelled to withdraw as their names were not seconded.

Expressing his views to our news team Ambakke Kataragama Devale Custodian Sudantha Senanayake said that money and other influences deprived him from being elected to the position.