By Roy Denish.
Monk double life allegations emerge after trustees say temple funds funded a secret family, luxury home and vehicle in Kurunegala.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — A monk’s double life scandal has emerged after temple trustees alleged that a senior Buddhist monk secretly married and maintained a family for more than two years while using temple funds for personal expenses.
The chief incumbent of an ancient temple along the main Colombo-Kurunegala highway legally married a woman under a secular pseudonym in October 2021, according to news portal Jaffna Muslim, citing temple officials.
Trustees allege the monk wore a wig while away from the temple. He reportedly told neighbors and his wife’s relatives that he worked either as a local government official or an international school teacher.
He allegedly spent as many as six days each month with his wife, child and in-laws at a luxury two-story residence in Kurunegala.
Trustees Uncover Alleged Monk Double Life
Members of the temple’s board of trustees began investigating after becoming suspicious about the monk’s frequent absences and unusual conduct.
According to the trustees, overseas benefactors had sent between Rs. 200,000 and Rs. 300,000 ($650 to $1,000) for temple renovations. They alleged that some of those donations instead funded personal expenses, including a luxury vehicle for the monk’s wife.
The monk also allegedly leased 10 acres of temple-owned land without authorization for Rs. 3.5 million ($11,500).
Meanwhile, the bride and her family reportedly knew that he was an ordained Buddhist monk when the marriage took place.
After discovering that trustees had uncovered his alleged activities, the monk returned to the temple premises, collected items worth approximately Rs. 400,000 ($1,300) and fled, according to the board.
His current whereabouts remain unclear.
Local police and temple authorities have not publicly confirmed whether authorities have filed formal criminal charges over the allegations.
