American who helped revive Buddhism in the Indian Ocean Island

Going through Sri Lanka’s history, shows one American, who helped revive Buddhism in the country.

Just in Sri Lanka’s busiest business District, Fort and In front of its main railway station stands a ‘Giant Statue.

Millions of Sri Lankans, and thousands of visitors to the country passes by the statue on a daily basis.

For some, who knows the history of Sri Lanka’s ‘Buddhist Revival’ and its ‘History’ the man on the statue is easily identifiable.

However, for many millions, they may have to read the plaque engraved in the status.

For Americans visiting the country, the statue is a ‘must see’, despite its presence in the most densely populated urban center of the country, with traffic taking a bigger portion of the day.

Colonel Henry Steel Olcott, born in 1832 is an American lawyer, journalist, and co-founder of the Theosophical Society.

Though born and educated in the United States, he became one of the most influential foreign figures in Sri Lanka’s modern religious history.

Olcott first arrived in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) in 1880, where he and his wife, Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky formally converted to Buddhism at Galle.

This act symbolized the first known conversion of Westerners to Buddhism in modern history and gave a strong international boost to the Buddhist revival movement in the country.

Deeply moved by the decline of Buddhist institutions under British colonial rule, Olcott devoted himself to revitalizing Buddhist education and rights in the island.

 He travelled widely across the country, giving lectures, raising funds, and organizing Buddhist associations.

One of his most lasting legacies was the establishment of Buddhist schools, including Ananda College, Colombo one of Sri Lanka’s elite schools in the country.

Adding to the list are Dharmaraja College, Kandy, Mahinda College, Galle, and Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala—institutions that continue to be pillars of Buddhist education in Sri Lanka and stands as some of the best .

He also designed the Buddhist flag, which remains an international symbol of Buddhism today.

In addition, Henry was instrumental in forming the Buddhist Theosophical Society (BTS) in 1880, which coordinated the educational and cultural revival efforts across the island.

Colonel Olcott’s leadership and deep respect for Buddhist philosophy earned him immense admiration among Sri Lankans.

His birthday, February 17, is still commemorated annually by many Buddhist schools and organizations in recognition of his remarkable service to the religion and the nation.

Olcott has just not left a legacy of him, but a proud Legacy that Americans can be proud of.