Coomaraswamy was born on 23 January 1834 in Amaittodam, Mutwal in south western Ceylon.

[1][6] After finishing school Coomaraswamy joined the Ceylon Civil Service as a cadet at the Colombo Kachcheri.

[1] Coomaraswamy was appointed to the Legislative Council of Ceylon in 1862 as the unofficial member representing Tamils, replacing V.

[1] Coomaraswamy took on the leading role when the play was performed in front of Queen Victoria on 8 December 1863.

[1] His translation of the Pali text Datavamsa, the story of the Sacred Tooth Relic, and Sutti Nipaata, the discourses of the Buddha, were published in 1874.