The YouTube channel “Manodhawara” is a joint project of Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya and the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs to promote Sri Lankan Children’s Literature. The commencement ceremony of the channel took place in an auspicious time at 12.30 p.m. on 7^th April of 2025. The YouTube channel was officially launched to public by Professor Madawa Chandratilake, the Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, and Mr. Thilak Nandana Hettiaarachchi, additional secretary of the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs.

The main purpose of initiating this YouTube channel is to provide guidance and support to the authors of the children’s literature to make their creations aligned with child psychology approaches. Furthermore, this initiative expects to develop the overall scope of children’s literature, to ensure the quality and the standard of the creations, and to aid in developing a sentimental future generation. This project is coordinated by the cultural centre of the faculty with the direct monitoring of the department of psychiatry of the faculty, and would include lectures from both national and international academic scholars.

The three initiative guest lectures were conducted by Professor Miyuru Chandradasa, Head, Department of Psychiatry; Professor Shyamani Hettiarachchi, Department of Diasability Studies, and literary scholar Mr. Chulananda Samaranayake.

Senior Professor Anurudhdhi Edirisinghe, Professor Nirmala Perera, Cultural Center coordinator Dr. Thusitha Wickramasinghe, Mrs. Erandhi Wagalath Senior Registrar of the faculty, participated the launch on the behalf of faculty. Moreover, on behalf of the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Assistant secretary Mrs. Sanjeewani Chandima Wickrama parcipated the event. In addition to that, several literary scholars and critics also joined the event.

You can access the Manodhwara YouTube channel using the following link: https://www.youtube.com/@manodwaara