2017 in Sri Lanka

The following lists notable events that occurred and which took place during 2017 in Sri Lanka.

← 2016 2015 2014 2017 in Sri Lanka → 2018 2019 2020
Decades:	1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	Other events of 2017 Timeline of Sri Lankan history

Incumbents

• President – Maithripala Sirisena
• Prime Minister – Ranil Wickremesinghe
• Chief Justice – K. Sripavan

Holidays

In Sri Lanka Bank Holidays, Public Holidays & Full Moon Poya Days for Year – 2017[1]

• 12 January – Thursday Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day
• 14 January – Saturday Tamil Thai Pongal Day
• 4 February – Saturday National Day
• 10 February – Friday Navam Full Moon Poya Day
• 24 February – Friday Mahasivarathri Day
• 12 March – Sunday Madin Full Moon Poya Day
• 10 April – Monday Bak Full Moon Poya Day
• 13 April – Thursday Day prior to Sinhala & Tamil
• 14 April – Friday Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day
• 14 April – Friday Good Friday
• 1 May – Monday Labour Day|Labor Day
• 1 May – Monday May Day
• 10 May – Wednesday Vesak Full Moon Poya Day
• 11 May – Thursday Day Following Vesak Full Moon
• 8 June – Thursday Poson Full Moon Poya Day
• 26 June – Monday Id-Ul-Fitr (Ramazan Festival Day)
• 8 July – Saturday Esala Full Moon Poya Day
• 7 August Monday Nikini Full Moon Poya Day
• 1 September – Friday Id-Ul-Alha (Hadji Festival Day)
• 5 September – Tuesday Binara Full Moon Poya Day
• 5 October – Thursday Vap Full Moon Poya Day
• 18 October – Wednesday Deepavali Festival Day
• 3 November – Friday Ill Full Moon Poya Day
• 1 December – Friday Milad-Un-Nabi(Holy Prophet's Birthday)
• 3 December – Sunday Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day
• 25 December – Monday Christmas Day

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Deaths

January

• 14 January – Deepal Silva, 50 (singer) [2]
• 14 January – M. V. Balan, 75 (actor) [3]
• 15 January – H. S. Perera, 68 (actor) [3][4]
• 21 January – Roy Peiris, 54 (singer) [5]

February

• 1 February – Baptist Fernando, 83 (actor) [6]
• 10 February – Dr. Ariyadasa Pieris, 91 (journalist) [7]
• 10 February – Wimal J. Sagara, 84 (singer) [8]
• 13 February – S. A. Francis, (singer) [9]
• 14 February – Boniface Fernando, 83 (actor) [10]

March

• 10 March – Gamini S. Fernando [9]
• 16 March – Pushpa Janet, (actress) [11]
• 26 March – Anton Alwis, 73 (scriptwriter) [12]
• 27 March – Shantha Kadiragonna [9]

April

• 2 April – Vivienne de Silva Boralessa, 86 (songstress) [13]
• 3 April – Davuldena Gnanissara Thero, 101 (Buddhist monk).[14]
• 8 April – Vasantha Obeysekera, 79 (filmmaker).[15]
• 14 April – Dr. Jagath Wijenayake, 60 (film producer) [16]
• 15 April – T. Arjuna, 75 (filmmaker) [17]

May

• 4 May – Satsorupavathy Nathan, 80 (radio personality).[18]
• 5 May – Prabha Ranatunge, 81 (radio personality) [19]
• 11 May – Premaranjith Tilakaratne, 80 (dramatist) [20]
• 23 May – Daniel Muthumala (actor) [9]
• 25 May – Siri Gunasinghe, 92 (academic) [21]
• 29 May – Ananda Wedisinghe, 46 (motor cycle champion)[22]
• 30 May – Sunil Mihindukula, 75 (journalist) [23]

June

• 8 June – Prince Udaya Priyantha, 46 (singer) [24]
• 11 June – Anil Mihiripenna, 83 (musician) [9]
• 23 June – D. B. Kuruppu, (author) [25]

July

• 11 July – Nihal Samarasinghe, (musician) [9]
• 14 July – Dr. Thilokasundari Kariyawasam, 88 (educationist) [26]
• 17 July – Somapala Rathnayake, 69 (musician) [27]
• 20 July – Thilak Atapattu, (film producer) [28]
• 26 July – Daya Kahawala, (author) [29]

August

• 1 August – Dayawansa Karunamuni, (journalist) [29]
• 16 August – Kumari Manel, 76 (actress) [30]
• 20 August – Binoy Surendra, 76 (journalist) [31]
• 24 August – Narawila Patrick, (author) [9]

September

• 20 September – Sumith Bibile, 87 (actor) [32]
• 20 September – Berty Galahitiyawa, 80 (announcer) [33]
• 20 September – Dasun Nishan, 29 (actor) [34]
• 23 September – Amaradasa Weerasinghe, (film critique) [35]

October

• 20 October – D. A. Balasuriya, (actor) [9]
• 20 October – Senaka Titus Anthony, (actor) [36]

November

• 1 November – Suvineetha Fernando, (actress) [9]
• 21 November – Dhammika P. Rathnayake, (announcer) [37]
• 28 November – Ruwan Weerasekara, 51 (violinist) [38]
• 30 November – Newton Gunasekara, (writer) [39]

References

1. "The Holidays in 2017:" (PDF). Ministry of Public Administration and Management. 26 December 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
2. "Singer Deepal Silva passes away". Sunday Observer. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
3. "Two filmmakers bid farewell today". Dinamina. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
4. "H. S. Perera passes away". mirrorarts. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
5. "Singer Roy Peiris passes away". Ada Derana. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
6. "Veteran actor Baptist Fernando passes away". Daily News. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
7. "Dr. Ariyadasa Peiris passes away". Daily News. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
8. "Singer Wimal J Sagara passes away". nethgossip. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
9. "Artists bid farewell in 2017". Deshaya. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
10. "Boniface Fernando bids farewell". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
11. "A movie star falls". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
12. "Condolenses from Prime Minister for Anton Alwis". Hiru News. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
13. "Vivienne de Silva Boralessa no more". DailyNews.lk. Daily News Sri Lanka. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
14. "US, China express condolences over demise of most venerable Davuldena Sri Gnanissara thero". Sunday Times. 4 April 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
15. "Veteran film director Wasantha Obeysekara passes away". Ada Derana. 8 April 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
16. "The last rites of Jagath Wijenayake will be held tomorrow". Ada Derana. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
17. "Veteran filmmaker T. Arjuna passes away". mirrorarts. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
18. "Voice lost, veteran radio broadcaster Satsorupavathy Nathan passes away". Nation.lk. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
19. DIGITAL, ITN. "First female radio announcer Prabha Ranatunge passes away | ITN News". www.itnnews.lk. Archived from the original on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
20. "Premaranjith Tilakaratne passes away". adaderana. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
21. "Death of Prof. Emeritus Siri Gunasinghe". Daily News. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
22. "Popular Sri Lankan motor racing legend passes away". Newsfirst.lk. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
23. "Sunil the Man". Dinamina. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
24. Pradeep, Chaturanga (8 June 2017). "Prince Udaya Priyantha passes away". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
25. "DB Kuruppu passes away". sathhanda. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
26. "Dr. Thilokasundari Kariyawasam passes away". sathhanda. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
27. "Veteran musician Somapala Rathnayake passes away". Ada Derana. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
28. "Thilak Atapattu second commemoration". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
29. "Dayawansa Karunamuni dies". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
30. "They also said goodbye to us". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
31. "Senior journalist Binoy Surendra passes away". Dinamina. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
32. "Sonoja Bibile's father passes away". srilankamirror. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
33. "Veteran announcer Berty Galahitiyawa bids farewell". Dinamina. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
34. "The innocent on the small screen says goodbye". Silumina. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
35. "Missing from Amaradasa Weerasinghe -Cultures-". Silumina. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
36. "Austin Ayya says goodbye". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
37. "Dear announcer Dhammika ... your voice is still with us". Divaina. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
38. "Veteran violinist Ruwan Weerasekera passes away". News First. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
39. "A humble writer who fell in love with the novel that passed away". Divaina. Retrieved 11 February 2020.