Gangodawila Soma Thero

Who was Gangodawila Soma Thero?

Gangodawila Soma Thero was a Buddhist monk from Sri Lanka. Following tradition, he used the name of his birthplace, Gangodawila, in front of his name. Ven. Soma thero followed the example set by his teacher, Most Ven. Madihe Pannaseeha thero and served the Buddha Dhamma and the Sinhala Buddhists both as a learned monk and as a social reformer.

He was truly a disciple of the Buddha, who had that ability to be 'ujupatipanno' forthright. He was admired even by non-Buddhists for that quality alone. He was posthumously respected with a yellow flag raised in almost every household both Buddhist and non-Buddhist. Venerable Gangodavila Soma thus became a household name in every corner of the society.

The cause of his death remains in dispute by some.