India-built auditorium, largest in any Sri Lankan university dedicated to the people of Sri Lanka

In a special ceremony held on 9 October 2018, the Rabindranath Tagore Memorial Auditorium built with Indian grant assistance of SLR 300 million at the University of Ruhuna, Matara in the Southern Province, was dedicated to the people of Sri Lanka jointly by High Commissioner of India H.E. Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Vice Chancellor of the University of Ruhuna Senior Professor Gamini Senanayake. The ceremony was attended by a large gathering of more than 1000 people including the faculty, supporting staff, students of the university and other invited guests.
 
As part of the program and as continuation of the celebrations of 150th Birth Anniversary of father of the Indian Nation Mahatma Gandhi which started on 2nd October 2018, a brief video of his message and teachings was played.
 
The state of art auditorium with 1500 seating capacity is the largest in any of the Universities in Sri Lanka. It has been designed by the famous Sri Lankan Architect Geoffrey Bawa to conform to the philosophy of “Tropical Modernism”. The buildings of the Ruhuna University which is celebrating its 40th year of inception, have also been designed under the guidance of Geoffrey Bawa.
 
The auditorium named after Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore is a symbol of cultural links with India. The great Indian poet and nobel laureate has left behind an enduring aesthetic and intellectual heritage for the whole of South Asia and the world. This auditorium upholds his legacy. It will also address the needs of students and public of the Southern Province for cultural and academic activities.