When Mr. Linton Kuruppu named the school for girls he founded in 1965 as Sujatha, he could not have chosen a better name, had he searched all the literature ever written about the exemplary women in the Buddhist canon.

Pali tradition believes that a woman offered milk-rice to the buddha, just before he attained enlightenment. Thus, Vipassi Piyadassi Buddha accepted the milk-rice from the daughter of Sudassana-setthi: Sikhi Buddha accepted it from the daughter of Piyasassi – setthi: Vipassi Piyadassi buddha accepted milk-rice from Sirivaddhana, etc. The last on the list is Gautama Buddha, who accepted milk-rice from Sujatha.

Legend has it near the river Neranjana, there was a banyan tree famously known as Ajapala. The villagers went there to worship the God of the tree. It was supposed to be a very miraculous tree. On the day that ascetic Gautama sat under this tree meditating, a young woman named Sujatha came to fulfill a vow, with specially made milk-rice in a golden bowl. Mistaking the ascetic to be the god of the tree, she offered the milk-rice with great reverence. This was Ascetic Gautama’s last meal before attaching enlightenment and seven weeks of contemplation followed that.

Since the day, the name Sujatha has been an epitome of compassion and merit. Unarguably, the school named after this impeccable figure in Buddhist history has kept alive the sense of purity, compassion, duty, and virtue embodied in the name Sujatha.