Pradeep Nilanga Dela

Pradeep Nilanga Dela
ප්‍රදීප් නිලංග දෑල
19th Diyawadana Nilame of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 July 2005
Acting7 September – 7 November 2025
Preceded byNeranjan Wijeyeratne
Personal details
Born (1973-10-28) 28 October 1973
Rathnapura, Sri Lanka
SpouseWasana Madhawee Galahitiyawa
Alma materNalanda College Colombo

Wanigasekara Wanasinghe Mudiyanse Ralahamilage Pradeep Nilanga Dela (Sinhala: වනිගසේකර වනසිංහ මුදියන්සේ රාළහාමිලාගේ ප්‍රදීප් නිලංග දෑල; born 28 October 1973) is the 19th Diyawadana Nilame (chief lay custodian) of Sri Dalada Maligawa.[1]

He served as the Basnayake Nilame of Kataragama devalaya, Kataragama and Maha Saman Devalaya, Ratnapura. He was elected Diyawadana Nilame on 1 July 2005 and served until 7 September 2025, when his term expired. On the same date, he was appointed acting Diyawadana Nilame for a period of three months, pending the election of a new officeholder.[2]

On 7 November 2025, Dela was elected to his third ten-year term till 2035.[3][4]

Personal life

Nilanga was educated at Nalanda College, Colombo and was presented with Nalanda Keerthi Sri award in 2005 by his alma mater Nalanda College, Colombo.[5][6][7]

Nilanga is the son of Dickson Sarathchandra Dela who was the Sri Lankan former High commissioner to Maldives and former Governor of Sabaragamuwa & Northern Province.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ "ARTICLE TITLE IN ENGLISH OR SINHALA". BBC News Sinhala (in Sinhala). BBC. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  2. ^ Seneviratne, Shane (8 September 2025). "Nilanga Dela appointed acting Diyawadana Nilame of Sri Dalada Maligawa". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 8 September 2025. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
  3. ^ "Pradeep Nilanga Dela elected as Diyawadana Nilame of Dalada Maligawa for third term". Ada Derana. 7 November 2025. Archived from the original on 8 November 2025. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  4. ^ "Nilanga Dela re-elected as Diyawadana Nilame of Sri Dalada Maligawa". Daily Mirror. 7 November 2025. Archived from the original on 8 November 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  5. ^ Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekara nominated for Nalanda Keerthi Sri 2010
  6. ^ Nalanda Keerthi Sri
  7. ^ Effervescent thespian
  8. ^ Dixon Dela Bandara the new Governor of Northern Province
Sources
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