also his pupils. Madihe Paññāsiha Maha Thera, one of his pupils, succeeded him as the Mahanayaka of the Amarapura Sri Dharmarakshita sect. Honours and death After an illness Pelene Vajirañāna Mahanayaka Thera died on September 21, 1955. With State patronage he was cremated in the presence of over 500,000 devotees of all ranks and religions at the Independence Square esplanade on September 25, 1955. His cremation was reported in the local Press (Dinamina) the next day in the following terms: Notes and references Sri Vajrañāna Sahityaya 1 & 2 compiled by Ven Madihe Paññāsiha Mahanayaka Thera, 1960 Sasunambara Payu Supun Sanda by Ven Tirikunamale Ananda Anunayaka Thera, 2013 Guna Pabanda (Collection of Articles of Most Venerable Pelene Vajirañāna), 1956 Siri Vajirañāna Charitaya by David Karunaratne, 1955 Tipitaka Dharmakosaya, Ven Sri Vajirañāna Commemorative Volume, 1978 Dinamina National Newspaper of September 26, 1955 Siridamräki Sanga Parapura, Tangalle Dirilakuru, 1978 Pujita Jivita, Vol.1, 1989 External links Siri Vajiraramaya Temple-Sri Lanka 1878 births 1955 deaths Sri Lankan Buddhist monks Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhists Theravada Buddhist monks People from Matara, Sri Lanka Sinhalese monks