Anagarika Dharmapala - Founder of Mahabodhi Society at Sarnath

Mahabodhi Society at Sarnath was founded by Anagarika Dharmapala who was born in Colombo, Srilanka and is acknowledged as the pioneer in the revival of buddhism in India. As per the inscriptions on his statue at Mahabodhi society, he was born in 1864 at Colombo and died at Sarnath in 1933. According to our friend and guide Pankaj, Dharmapal was born in a family of rich merchants in Colombo, Srilanka(then Ceylon). Dharmapala was the first anagarika - that is, a celibate, full-time worker for Buddhism - in modern times. It seems that he took a vow of celibacy at the age of eight and remained faithful to it all his life. Although he wore a yellow robe, it was not of the traditional bhikkhu pattern, and he did not shave his head. He felt that the observance of all the vinaya rules would get in the way of his work, especially as he traveled around the world to spread the tenets of Buddhism.