Prof (Chair). Ven. Galwewe Wimalakhanthi
Dean, Faculty of Languages and Cultural Studies
Department of Social Sciences and Comparative Studies
Faculty of Languages and Cultural Studies · Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka
Biography
Rev. Galwewe Wimalakhanthi is a Senior Lecturer (Grade II) in the Department of Social Sciences and Comparative Studies, Faculty of Languages and Cultural Studies, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka. He teaches Archaeology and Heritage Management and is a professional archaeologist with research interests in epigraphy, paleography, heritage management, the tangible and intangible culture of Sri Lanka, and religious studies. He completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree at the University of Kelaniya and pursued postgraduate studies in archaeology and Sinhala, including a Master of Social Sciences in Archaeology, a Master of Arts in Sinhala, a Postgraduate Diploma in Archaeology and a PhD from the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya.
His academic work combines archaeological field research, epigraphic and paleographic studies, heritage management, curriculum development and university leadership. His doctoral research examined monasticism and its socio-economic impact during the Anuradhapura period through Brahmi inscriptional evidence. He has directed and advised a number of archaeological exploration and excavation projects, including work in the Lower Malwathu Oya River Basin, Katupotha, Kebella Lena, Nakolagane and Kiralagala. He has also served in major institutional leadership roles including Dean of the Faculty of Languages and Cultural Studies, Head of the Department of Social Sciences and Comparative Studies and Director of the Internal Quality Assurance Unit.
Educational Qualifications
PhD in Archaeology, Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya, 2023. Thesis: A Research on Monasticism and its Impact to Socio-Economic Condition of the Anuradhapura Period in Sri Lanka: A Critical Analysis on Brahmi Inscriptions.
Master of Social Sciences in Archaeology, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, 2013. Thesis: South Indian Influence on Sinhala Paleography: A Critical Analysis from the Origin to the 7th Century A.C.
Master of Arts in Sinhala, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, 2009. Thesis: Agricultural Customs Revealed from Folk Poems.
Postgraduate Diploma in Archaeology, Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya, Merit Pass, 2003.
Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Second Class Upper Division, University of Kelaniya, 1998. Thesis: Evolution of the Brahmi Scripts in Sri Lanka.
Postgraduate Diploma in Sinhala, University of Kelaniya, 2007.
Diploma in Buddhism, Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka, 1994.
Certificate in GIS and Remote Sensing, University of Peradeniya, 2014.
Certificate in AutoCAD, Open University of Sri Lanka, 2018.
Academic Positions
Senior Lecturer (Grade II), Department of Social Sciences and Comparative Studies, Faculty of Languages and Cultural Studies, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka
Visiting Lecturer, Archaeology Special Degree Programme, Department of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya (2025 - Present)
Visiting Lecturer, Archaeology General Degree Programme, Department of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya (2025)
Visiting Lecturer, Short Certificate Course in Epigraphy, Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya (2023)
Visiting Lecturer, Archaeology Special Degree Programme, Department of History and Archaeology, University of Ruhuna (2023)
Administrative Positions
Dean, Faculty of Languages and Cultural Studies, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka (2021 - Present)
Head, Department of Social Sciences and Comparative Studies, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka (2019 - 2021)
Director, Internal Quality Assurance Unit, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka (2019 - 2020)
Chairman, Internal Quality Assurance Cell, Faculty of Languages and Cultural Studies, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka (2021 - Present)
Member, Council, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka (2019 - Present)
Member, Senate, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka (2019 - Present)
Chairman, Abilekhana Society of Sri Lanka (2023 - Present)
Project Director, Lower Malwathu Oya River Basin Exploration Project (2018)
Project Director, Katupotha Excavation Project (2020)
Principal Adviser, Kebella Lena Prehistoric Excavation Project, Rusigala, Bulathsinhala (2021)
Principal Adviser, Nakolagane Prehistoric Excavation Project, Ambanpola (2022)
Principal Adviser, Kiralagala Exploration Project, Vavuniya (2024)
Publications & Research
Books2
- ශ්‍රීලාංකේය බ්‍රාහ්මී අක්ෂර පරිණාමය. (2013). Fast Publishers (Pvt) Ltd., Colombo. ISBN 978-955-677-237-1.
- ජනකවියෙන් හෙළිවන කෘෂි ජීවිතය. (2010). Author Publication, Nugegoda. ISBN 978-955-54573-2-3.
Book Chapters4
- හත්ථිකුච්ඡි විහාර ශිලාලේඛන සහ වහරල ශිලාලේඛන පිළිබඳ අර්ථකථනය. (2018). In රාජාංගන ඓතිහාසික හත්ථිකුච්ඡි පබ්බත විහාරය සහ සිරිසංඝබෝධි බෝධිසත්ව, pp. 439-538.
- ශිලාලේඛන. (2018). In මල්වතුඔය නිම්නයේ ඌත්තුවෙල්ලිය සහ කොන්ග්‍රායන්කුලම් පුරාවිද්‍යා ස්ථාන හා ස්මාරක, pp. 6-34.
- මූල ඓතිහාසික මහාශිලා සුසාන. (2018). In මල්වතුඔය නිම්නයේ ඌත්තුවෙල්ලිය සහ කොන්ග්‍රායන්කුලම් පුරාවිද්‍යා ස්ථාන හා ස්මාරක, pp. 46-57.
- හැඳින්වීම. (2019). In කොන්ග්‍රායන්කුලම් ගුහාකැණීම, Department of Social Sciences and Comparative Studies, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka, pp. 1-8.
Journal Articles (Peer-Reviewed / Indexed)8
- Terminal Pleistocene to Mid-Holocene Rainforest in Sri Lanka: Multidisciplinary Insights at Kebella-Lena Rock Shelter. (2025). Quaternary Science Review, indexed in Web of Science.
- An Investigative Study on the Spread of Hinduism in the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa Periods. (2022). Pravacana, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 60-79.
- Investigation about Human Rights of Sri Lanka in Accordance with Ancient Records. (2018). Pravacana, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 403-427.
- Retrospect on Ancient Weight Reveal in the Literary Sources in Sri Lanka. (2016). Pravacana, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 399-411.
- Kongrayankulam Rock Inscription of King Batikabhaya. (2014). Pravacana, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 328-335.
- අප්‍රකාශිත වෙහෙරගොඩයාය ගිරිලිපිය පිළිබඳ විමර්ශනයක්. (2020). Pravacana, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 348-372.
- ලක්දිව මූල බ්‍රාහ්මී යුගයට අයත් සෙල්ලිපිවලින් නියෝජනය වන භාෂාව සිංහල ප්‍රාකෘතය ද? (2021). Prabhāshā, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 295-317.
- අපර බ්‍රාහ්මී අභිලේඛනයන්හි ස්වභාවය හා ගිරි ලිපි භාවිතය පිළිබඳ විමර්ශනයක්. (2021). Urumaya, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 54-72.
Conference Papers (National / International)8
- The Establishment of Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka as Proved by Archaeological Evidences. (2013). National Buddhist Conference, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka.
- The Methods of Conservations and Maintenance Appearing in Later Brahmi Inscriptions in Sri Lanka with Special Reference to Kongrayankulam Rock Inscription. (2014). 2nd International Research Symposium, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka.
- Celebration of Stupas in Sanskrit Inscriptions in Sri Lanka. (2014). International Buddhist Conference on Evolution of Buddhist Stupa, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka.
- Impact of Information Technology in Heritage Management. (2015). 4th International Buddhist Conference, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka.
- Ancient Epigraphic Evidences in Sri Lanka Safeguarding of Human Rights. (2018). 6th International Conference of SIVUS International, Kolkata, India.
- South India and Sri Lanka: How Sanskrit Inscriptions of Sri Lanka Reveal Relationship. (2018). International Conference on New Frontiers in Sanskrit & Indic Knowledge, Kerala, India.
- Archaeological Data Analysis by Using Machine Learning. (2021). 6th International Conference, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka.
- A Research on the Historical Value of the Tiriyay Sanskrit Inscription. (2023). International Conference on Sanskrit, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka.
Full Papers / Proceedings2
- වටිනාපහ පුවරු ලිපිය. (2009). Proceedings of the National Archaeology Symposium, Department of Archaeology, Colombo, pp. 177-181.
- ලංකාවට බ්‍රාහ්මී අක්ෂර පැමිණියේ මහින්දාගමනයත් සමග ද? (2019). National Forum on Antiquity of the Sinhala Language and the Origin of the Brahmi Script, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka.
Fields of Interest
Memberships
Member, Sri Lanka Council of Archaeologists
Lifetime Resident Member, Royal Asiatic Society, Sri Lanka Branch
Member, Epigraphy Society of Sri Lanka