Ananda College (Sinhala: ආනන්ද විද්යාලය), Colombo, is a national school for boys, with a student population exceeding 8,000 across 13 grades from primary to secondary classes, on a campus of 20 acres (81,000 m2) in the suburb of Maradana.[1] Ananda College intercepted as a result of Buddhist Renaissance taken place in the 19th century stands still as a light house to the nation nurturing countless erudite scholars, professionals, patriotic heroes and well-disciplined citizens who serve for the name of the Motherland Sri Lanka.[citation needed] It was established on November 1, 1886, by the Buddhist Theosophical Society led by Colonel Henry Steel Olcott and became a government school in 1961. As of 2013[update] an academic staff of more than 250 was led by Mr. Kithsiri Liyanagamage.