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Welisara, Colombo - Katunayake Expressway, Sri Lanka
Welisara, Colombo - Katunayake Expressway, Sri Lanka
Mr. Hiddadura Godwin Mendis, (17th November 1928-7th March 1999) was born to parents, John Mendis and Eugenia Mendis (Diseased in 1975), and was married to Bernadette Ruby Mendis (Bernie) on the 27th December 1956 at St. John the Baptist Church, Nagoda. Together, Mr. Mendis and Bernadette had seven children- Nelum, Nirmali, Rohitha, Edel, Franklyn, Marina, Shehara- where they lived as a family in Welisara. 
Mr. Mendis was a man of great values, solid integrity, and of rich character. A man who loved his family very much, he diligently fulfilled his responsibilities, duties, and obligations to them faithfully. In addition to this, he loved God, and he was an active member of the Legion of Mary. He would always do whatever he could to help those around him. He joined the Legion of Mary as a junior member at De Mazanod College. Soon after his graduation, he initiated the Legion of Mary in Nagoda, Kandana Parish, and became an extremely active Legionary. He held many positions at parish, regional, and district levels. Mr. Mendis became the National President (Senatus of Sri Lanka) at an incredibly young age and held this position for three consecutive terms, which was nine years, being unanimously elected by the other members.
One of his notable accomplishments and projects that he embarked on was the founding of ‘Maw Sevena’- a home for destitute children which he built in Mattakuliya, Colombo 15. Another noteworthy and momentous project was the initiation of a model housing village in a very poor area in Ragama, which is called Magulpokuna. Mr. Mendis managed to build 144 new houses with all the basic, necessary facilities including proper shelter, water, sanitation, and electricity, complete with a junior school and health center. Coincidentally this was the first model village initiated in Sri Lanka.
Due to the excellent work he had completed successfully, he was invited by Rev. Fr. Mervyn Fernando to join his institute. At the age of 43, Mr. Mendis retired from his post as Head of the Drawing Office at the Posts & Telecommunications Department, and joined the Family Studies & Services Institute (FSSI) in 1978, where he was the Executive Director until he passed away. At the FSSI, his duties comprised of scientific counselling, conducting, counsellor training programs, child education programs, communication, leadership, marriage, and much more. There were no boundaries to the work he did, working with all religions, all races, and all schools- governmental and non-governmental.
Being incredibly knowledgeable, his experience in the field was also demanded abroad, and not just within Sri Lanka. He travelled all over the country and the world conducting programs such as for the Police Department, the Prisons Department, the Child Probation Department, the Justice Ministry, and countless more. The hundreds of conferences, seminars, and workshops were sometimes sponsored by the United Nations. He also worked with organisations such as Alcoholics Anonymous, National Dangerous Drugs Control Board, and top NGO’s such as the United Nations and Save the Children. Various social clubs such as the Rotary Club, the Lions Club, and Zonta all availed his valuable services as well. 
Despite all his commitments, Mr. Mendis was a true family man, and made sure that they were looked after very well. He prioritized providing for them and ensuring they got the best food, were healthy, and had the best possible education. He would help his children out with their homework and assignments, made timetables for them to study, and inculcated religious values in them.

When Mr. Mendis pre-maturally retired from Government Service in 1978, he was only 43 years of age and he unfortunately suffered two heart attacks within a short span of time. Due to this, he had to gradually reduce his involvement and high responsibilities of Legion of Mary. Because by then, he had joined FSSI on full time basis and it was too much to manage. However, he always remained a Legionary and always supported the cause and work of the Legion of Mary.
Photo by Николай Максимович
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AsiaSri LankaWestern Province

Welisara

Western Province, Sri Lanka · Asia

About Welisara

Welisara sits on the route: 10 minutes from Wattala.

Welisara is a town located in Western Province, Sri Lanka. With a population of 41,306, it is an important destination in Asia.

On a road trip, Welisara sits in Sri Lanka. It's in the Asia/Colombo time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Welisara to your route.

About Welisara

Navy Ground is a cricket ground in Welisara, Sri Lanka. The first recorded match held on the ground came in 2002 when Galle Cricket Club Under-23s played Nugegoda Sports and Welfare Club Under-23s. First-class cricket was first played there in 2006 when Burgher Recreation Club played Saracens Sports Club in the

Read more 2006/07 Premier Trophy. To date twenty first-class matches have been held there, though home side Sri Lanka Navy Sports Club didn't start playing there until the 2009/10 season. The first List A was held there in the 2006/07 Premier Limited Overs Tournament when Kurunegala Youth Cricket Club played Sri Lanka Army Sports Club. To date, ten List A matches have been played there.

Read more on Wikipedia

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Welisara offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.

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Where is Welisara located?

Welisara is located in Western Province, Sri Lanka, Asia. The coordinates are 7.0281 latitude, 79.9014 longitude.

What is the population of Welisara?

Welisara has a population of approximately 41,306 people, making it a town in Sri Lanka.

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Quick Information

Population
41,306
Continent
Asia
Country
Sri Lanka
Region
Western Province
Timezone
Asia/Colombo
Coordinates
7.0281, 79.9014

Tags

AsiaSri LankaWestern ProvinceTown

When to drive here

Year-round

Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.

Nearby Destinations

Other places to explore near Welisara.

Wattala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

4 km awayPop. 30,725

Hendala

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Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte

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Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

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Negombo

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21 km awayPop. 137,223

Hanwella Ihala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

25 km awayPop. 22,918

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Data sources:GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)•Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)•Mapbox•Photography: George Lawrence