Chandra Ranaraja (née Mahadiulwewa) (b. 1939 – d. 2 March 2016) was the first female mayor in Sri Lanka, when she was elected the Mayor of

Kandy Kandy ( si, මහනුවර ''Mahanuwara'', ; ta, கண்டி Kandy, ) is a major city in Sri Lanka located in the Central Province. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills ...

in 1990. The eldest in a family of seven children, Chandra was born in

Anuradhapura Anuradhapura ( si, අනුරාධපුරය, translit=Anurādhapuraya; ta, அனுராதபுரம், translit=Aṉurātapuram) is a major city located in north central plain of Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of North Central ...

in 1939. Her grandfather, D. P. B. Mahadiulwewa, was Chairman of the Village Tribunals, which functioned during

British colonial The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

times. Her father was S. H. Mahadiulwewa (1906–1988), Kachcheri Mudliyar of

and the

member of parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for

Kalawewa Kala Wewa ( Sinhala:කලා වැව) built by the King Datusena in 460 A.D, is a twin reservoir complex (Kala Wewa & Balalu Wewa) which has a capacity of 123 million cubic meters. This reservoir complex has facilitated with a stone made spil ...

between 1947 and 1952. Chandra was educated at

Hillwood College Hillwood College is an independent private girls' school in Kandy, Sri Lanka founded by British Anglican missionaries of the Church of England Zenana Missionary Society in 1890. The school is situated in the Kandy Lake round (Victoria Drive). Th ...

, Kandy and was one of the first women to attend the

University of Peradeniya The University of Peradeniya ( si, පේරාදෙණිය විශ්වවිද්‍යාලය, ta, பேராதனைப் பல்கலைக்கழகம்) is a Public research university, public university in Sri Lanka ...

from the Northern Central Province, graduating with a teaching degree in 1961. The first school she taught at was the Holy Family Convent in Anuradhapura. After she married

Shelton Ranaraja Shelton Ranaraja ( si, ෂෙල්ටන් රණරාජා; 3 November 1926 – 11 August 2011) was a Sri Lankan lawyer, politician and deputy minister. Early life and family Ranaraja was born on 3 November 1926 in Ranwala near Kegalle ...

, (b. 1926 – d. 11 August 2011), the member of parliament for Senkadagala, she moved to

, and taught at the Girls’ High School. She gave up teaching to care for her five daughters: Premila, Aruni (b. 1967), twins Siromi and Shamila, and Anjali. In 1978 Ranaraja was appointed as a member of the first Council of the University of Peradeniya. She entered local politics and was elected a member of the

Kandy Municipal Council The Kandy Municipal Council (Sinhala language, Sinhala: මහනුවර මහ නගර සභා ''Mahanuwara Maha Nagara Sabha'') is the Politics of Sri Lanka#Local government structure, local council for Kandy, the second largest city and ...

. Ranaraja was subsequently elected the Deputy Mayor (1979 –1989) and later in 1990, the first female

Mayor of Kandy The mayor of Kandy is the mayor and head of the Kandy Municipal Council The Kandy Municipal Council (Sinhala language, Sinhala: මහනුවර මහ නගර සභා ''Mahanuwara Maha Nagara Sabha'') is the Politics of Sri Lanka#Local ...

and the first female mayor in Sri Lanka. Ranaraja during and after her tenure on Council was a strong and vocal advocate for the protection and conservation of built heritage in Kandy. Her daughter Aruni is the Ambassador to the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. Ranaraja died on 2 March 2016 at 77 years old.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ranaraja, Chandra 1939 births 2016 deaths Alumni of Hillwood College Alumni of the University of Peradeniya Mayors of Kandy Women mayors of places in Sri Lanka