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Sri Lankabhimanya

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Sri Lankabhimanya
ශ්‍රී ලංකාභිමාන්‍ය
சிறீ லங்காபிமான்ய
Awarded by

The Government of Sri Lanka
TypeTitle of honor/Order of merit
Established1981
EligibilitySri Lankan citizens
CriteriaExceptional and distinguished service to the nation
StatusCurrently constituted
Statistics
First induction1986
Last induction2023
Total inductees9
Precedence
Next (higher)None
Next (lower)Deshamanya
EquivalentNational Hero of Sri Lanka


Sri Lankabhimanya (Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකාභිමාන්‍ය, romanized: Śrī Laṃkābhimānya; Tamil: சிறீ லங்காபிமான்ய, romanized: Ciṟī Laṅkāpimāṉya; The Pride of Sri Lanka) is the highest national honour of Sri Lanka, which is awarded by the President of Sri Lanka on behalf of the government, equivalent to the National Hero of Sri Lanka. It is the country's highest civil honour and is conferred upon "those who have rendered exceptionally outstanding and most distinguished service to the nation".[1]

The honour can only be held by five living Sri Lankans at any given time, and may also be conferred posthumously.[2] Karu Jayasuriya is the only living recipient of the award as of 2024. Since its initiation in 1986, the award has only been conferred to nine individuals.[3]

The honour is conventionally used as a title or prefix to the name of the person who receives the award.

Insignia

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The insignia consists of a badge circular with blooming lotus in the centre and Sri Lankabhimanya written in Sinahala and Tamil around it. The badge is suspended from the neck by a ribbon with a blue centre and two marron line between separated by yellow boarders. A shoulder sash of the same colour is worn from the left shoulder to the right hip. A Sanasa (certificate) signed by the President of Sri Lanka is presented to the recipient.

Recipients

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Key
   Living recipient
   Posthumous recipient
List of Sri Lankabhimanya award recipients
# Year Recipient Field Conferred by
1 1986 Ranasinghe Premadasa
(1924–1993)
Government J. R. Jayewardene
2 1993 Dingiri Banda Wijetunga
(1916–2008)
Government Ranasinghe Premadasa
3 2005 Arthur C. Clarke
(1917–2008)
Science Chandrika Kumaratunga
4 2005 Lakshman Kadirgamar
(1932–2005)
Government Chandrika Kumaratunga
5 2007 A. T. Ariyaratne
(1931–2024)
Civil service Mahinda Rajapaksa
6 2007 Lester James Peries
(1919–2018)
Cinema Mahinda Rajapaksa
7 2007 Christopher Weeramantry
(1926–2017)
Law Mahinda Rajapaksa
8 2017 W. D. Amaradeva
(1927–2016)
Music Maithripala Sirisena
9 2023 Karu Jayasuriya
(born 1940)
Government[4] Ranil Wickremesinghe

References

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  1. ^ Gunawardena, Charles A. (2005). Encyclopedia Of Sri Lanka. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. 254. ISBN 9781932705485.
  2. ^ "Prestigious 'Sri Lankabhimanya'". Presidential Secretariat, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Sri Lankabhimanya award for two distinguished Sri Lankans". Island. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  4. ^ https://www.newswire.lk/2023/01/25/new-honour-for-karu-jayasuriya-from-president-ranil/
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