Gyanashree Mahathero
Sangharaja Saddharmaditya Srimat Gyanashree Mahathero | |
|---|---|
জ্ঞানশ্রী মহাথের | |
| Born | 18 November 1925 Chittagong District, Bengal Presidency, British India |
| Died | 13 November 2025 (aged 99) Chittagong, Bangladesh |
| Occupation | Buddhist Monk |
| Years active | 1944–2025 |
| Parents |
|
| Awards | See full list |
Gyanashree Mahathero (18 November 1925 – 13 November 2025) was a Bangladeshi Buddhist monk.[1] The government of Bangladesh awarded him the Ekushey Padak in 2022 for his significant contribution to social service.[2][3]
Biography
Gyanashree Mahathero was born on 18 November 1925 in the village of Domkhali, North Gujra, Raozan, Chittagong District. He stayed at Nandankanan Buddhist Monastery in the Chittagong Hill Tracts from 1958 onwards.[4]
Mahathero became a samanera in 1944 and a monk in 1949. He studied till the entrance. He took the initiative to spread the economic, social, religious and educational life of the Buddhist common people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. He established many religious and educational institutions in the hilly and plain areas. In 1974, he set up a monastery, where residential schools were set up to provide general education to poor, orphaned and helpless children in Buddhist communities. He established several Buddhist educational centres at Joypurhat and Rangpur.[4]
Mahathero died at Evercare Hospital in Chittagong, on 13 November 2025, five days before his 100th birthday.[5]
Awards
- Ekushey Padak (2022)[6]
- Aggamahāpaṇḍita (2023)[7]
References
- ^ ড. জ্ঞানশ্রী মহাথেরোকে সংঘরাজ নির্বাচিত করায় ভারতীয় সংঘরাজ ভিক্ষু মহাসভার অভিবাদন বার্তা. NivvanaTV (in Bengali). 22 May 2020. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
- ^ "Three rice scientists among 24 winners of Ekushey Padak". bdnews24.com. 3 February 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
- ^ "24 names unveiled for Ekushey Padak". The Daily Star. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
- ^ a b প্রতিষ্ঠাতামন্ডলীর জীবনী. Moanoghar Residential School (in Bengali). Retrieved 4 February 2022.
- ^ "বৌদ্ধ ধর্মগুরু জ্ঞানশ্রী মহাথেরর চিরপ্রস্থান". Daily Pandesh. 13 November 2025. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
- ^ "24 personalities to get Ekushey Padak". jagonews24.com. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
- ^ "Religious titles offered to title recipient Sayadaws and nuns for 2023 together with rice offering ceremony" (PDF). The Global New Light of Myanmar. Retrieved 2 September 2023.