Sri Lanka
"Sri Lanka Matha"

Words by: Ananda Samarkone
Music by: Ananda Samarkone
Adopted: 1951

After independence was granted to Sri Lanka (at the time known as Ceylon) in 1948, the need for a national anthem arose. As a result of a contest, Ananda Samarkone's contribution, written in Sinhalese, was chosen as the new anthem. The Tamil (another official language) lyrics are by an unknown author, but have the same meaning as the Sinhalese lyrics. It was first performed on the fourth anniversary of independence in early 1952.