Military Honours Salute ‘Helaye Maha Gandharwa’ Pandith Amaradeva

The funeral of the doyen of Sinhala music, recognized and fondly venerated as the Helaye Maha Gandharwa (greatest musician of the country), Padmasri Pandith W.D Amaradeva took place this afternoon (5) with state patronage and full military honours at the Independence Square at Colombo 7.

Maestro Amaradeva (88) passed away on Thursday (3) at Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital after a brief illness.

The government, paying its highest tribute to this great and unmatched musician immediately declared a week of national mourning and decided to accord a state funeral with full military honours on the directions of HE the President and Hon Prime Minister.

Accordingly, members of the armed services (Army, Navy and Air Force) jointly maintained vigil duties soon after his remains were brought to the Independence Hall Friday (4) morning in a motorcade, befitting a state funeral.

The funeral procession, comprised of a large representative gathering of tri-service officers in their ceremonial attire with medals and mourning band, paraded ahead in conformity with military formalities before the coffin.

Afterwards, 17 Gun Salutes fired minutes before the remains were placed in the pyre, honoured this musician of contemporary times who would remain always in the hearts and minds of the public to be in line with the semantic meaning of his name, ‘Amaradeva’ (immortal god).

HE the President Maithripala Sirisena, Hon Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, a host of Ministers, Governors, Commander of the Army, Inspector General of the Police, senior tri-forces officers, Secretaries, State Officials, Artistes, Musicians and a sea of mourners were present at the funeral ceremony.

Hailed as a national heritage, Maestro Amaradeva belongs to an eminent group of practitioners, steeped in the creation of distinctively a Sinhala musical tradition, drawing inspiration from the classical Hindustani tradition, in which he succeeded in finding a rich niche for himself in the Sinhala music and singing.