Deshabandu Dr. Themmadurage Pabilis Silva :; (born 24 April 1936) is a Sri Lankan chef and television personality. Considered as an icon in Sri Lankan cuisine, Silva has the honor of taking Sri Lankan Sinhala food to the international arena and his recipes are famous all around the world. Silva started as a coal miner in the hotel, later he became the Chief Chef of the Mount Lavinia Hotel and is currently a member of the Board of Directors. Personal life He was born on 24 April 1936 in Gammeddegoda, Rathgama as the second child of the family with five. His love name was Kirimahatthaya. His father Appu Singho was a social worker. His mother Kumarasinghe Podihami also did few works. He went to school only in fourth grade. According to him, he went to the market with his mother and sold vegetables to make a living. Some days he ate rotten pumpkins and lived without anything to eat. Both father and mother have no education. Some days Pabilis went to work at several homes. Went to Pindapatha with the Buddhist Thero. He has two brothers and two sisters. He first attended to Rajgama Devapathiraja. He did not have to study there for more than a month and was later admitted to a missionary school in the same area due to onset of World War II. He did not attend the missionary school for more than two years and later attended to Sirisumana Vidyalaya. He was a rebellious boy who had to be constantly punished at school and showed no ability or interest in education by nature. Even at a young age he had no desire to do a job. Later, at the age of 20, he married girlfriend Wimalawathi Rajakaruna. They went to the same school when they were little. At first there were a few minor issues with their relationship but then there was no reluctance. Finally they married in 1956. The desire to get a job came when he was married and had a child. The couple has three daughters including Nishani Maheshika and two sons. They came to live in Colombo in 1978. When he was a kid, he used to pull nets. Then he pushed dry carts and as well as a shoplifter, a narrator and an abbot. Culinary career In 1952, Pabilis came to Colombo after running away from home. He tried to do