Early life…

A Baby boy born as the 5th child of the family of nine in a village called Welisara in Western province, Sri Lanka named as the Ashoka Keerthi Madduwage.  His father is M.E De Silva Madduwage and mother, P. Pemawathie de De Silva Madduwage.  He has completed his primary education in Welisara Mattumagala Central College. In his early age he was shown religious tendencies and good behaviors. And meeting one of his relatives, who was the Chief Incumbent of Welgam Rajamaha viharaya in Trincomalee, the most venerable late Maaduwe Ratanawansa Tissabidhaana Thero was a major turning point in his life.  He was ordained in 13th October, 1968 at Welgama Rajamaha Viharaya in Trincomalee under the name of Ven. Welisara Jinawansha Tissa and joined Kelaniya Vidyalankara Bhikku University (Pirivena) for Buddhist studies.

Academic Years...

Ven. Tissa thero had his higher ordain under chief incumbent of Nagadeepa Raja Maha Viharaya, the most venerable Rajakeeya Panditha Brahmanawatte Dhamma Kiththi in 1978. And he joined as an external student to the University of Peradeniya for his bachelor’s degree.  After that he successfully completed 3 years of Spanish course in Cuban embassy. Then he has learned Russian language from Russian cultural center. He also learned Japanese in Japanese Cultural Center and got a scholarship to Japan in 1982.  For many years he has carried out his Buddhist missions in Japan, Thailand, Burma and Singapore before returning to his motherland, Sri Lanka.  Ven. Tissa thero also got an opportunity to be a student under the most venerable Kaluwamodara Rahulathissabhidana Chief Monk.

Journey to Anuradhapura...

From 1982 to 1992 Jinawansha thero has done tremendous service to Buddhism in foreign countries and his biggest mission has begun with his journey to Anuradhapura. On 03rd August, 1994 Ven. thero got the opportunity to visit this place which is once a glorious and highly memorable place in Anuradhapura. But at that time it was a breeding place for Wild animals like elephants, leopards and bears.
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​Though this was a very hostile environment for a single monk to reside Tissa thero had a strong determination to redevelop this historical land and regain its ancient glory again.  According to the archaeologists, this place was abandoned nearly after 12th century.  

The forest has taken the authority of this sacred land and the historical values hidden in the deep forest.  According to the thero, as soon as he step in this sacred place, he got this strange feeling of that he had a some kind of a bond with this place.  He believes that it can be from the previous lives connections. He first visited this place with Mr. K. Abesundara, Mr. Wasantha Chandrasekara and Mr. Ranjith Paduwala who later support him to rebuild this sacred land in many ways.