The university was officially opened on 20 April 1954, in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II, by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

[3] It claims to have the largest government endowment by a higher education institution in Sri Lanka, based on its large staff and faculties/departments.

[1] The University of Peradeniya site touches the natural environment of the lower slopes of the Hanthana mountain range.

A separate sub-campus was established in 1968 at Mahailuppallama, North Central province for the Faculty of Agriculture.

[3] It made suggestions to build the university in Bullers Road (now Bauddhaloka Mawatha) in Colombo, but it was disputed by politicians.

To resolve the conflict, the then Governor Hugh Clifford appointed a committee headed by Justice M. T. Akbar on 20 December 1926.

The committee initially proposed a site at Uyanawatta, in the Dumbara Valley close to Kandy.

H. B. Lees, the Director of Public Works however proposed Mavilmada and Austin Woodeson, the Chief Architect recommended Aruppola, both on the Kandy side of the Dumbara Valley as better sites than Uyanawatta.

Dr. Samuel Chelliah Paul and Andreas Nell pointed out the disadvantages of those sites and proposed a larger one at Peradeniya.

With the arrival of Sir Ivor Jennings, as the second principal of the Ceylon University College, establishment plans were put into effect.

He stressed the urgent need to move the university to Peradeniya to the Minister of Education C. W. W. Kannangara and took the initiative in the process.

Consultants Sir Patrick Abercrombie and Clifford Holliday did the planning and layout of the university complex.

Another major move took place in 1952, with the transfer of staff and students of the Faculties of Arts and Oriental Studies, together with the Main Library and the University Administration.

In the initial stages, vice chancellor Jennings wanted to model British universities but met with resistance from students who opposed the changes.

Minister of Transport and Works John Kotelawala while inviting the Royal Highness mentioned that the ideal of many educated Ceylonese to have a University in appropriate surroundings is now being realized.

HRH The Duke of Gloucester received the honorary degree of the University of Ceylon as the first in the roll of distinguished graduates in Peradeniya and shared the honors of this convocation with Prime Minister D.S.

Although the buildings at Peradeniya were established in 1952, the official ceremony for its inception was held on 20 April 1954, with the participation of Queen Elizabeth II.

However, like the shopkeepers of London during the bombing, I can declare this place to be "more open than usual...The plaque displayed in remembrance of the proud visit of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in the Senate building built on 130 granite columns is a resemblance of a historical palace from the Polonnaruwa era.

[14] This Act brought back some of the central features of the Ceylon University Ordinance of 1942 such as the senates, the councils and courts.

The vice chancellor is the de facto principal academic and administrative officer of the university, responsible for management tasks.

In addition to these institutions, Senerath Paranavitana Teaching and Research Museum functions affiliated with the Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts.

Residential halls for undergraduate students: The university has developed international relationships since its earliest days.

Each year, about 20 undergraduates spend five months in Sri Lanka following courses given by members of the Faculty of Arts.

Lakshman Kadirgamar; distinguished diplomat, politician and lawyer,[35][36] Prof. Channa Jayasumana; Medical Professor, winner of AAAS Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility in 2019 offered by American Association for the Advancement of Science and former Health minister of Sri Lanka, S. H. M.. Jameel, Dr. Jayantha Dhanapala; former Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations,[37] Prof. Gananath Obeyesekere; emeritus Professor of Anthropology at Princeton University and the person who entered into an intellectual debate with Marshall Sahlins over the rationality of indigenous people through the details of Captain James Cook's death in the Hawaiian Islands in 1779,[38] Prof. Anuradha Seneviratna; a renowned Sri Lankan scholar,[39] Prof. Malik Peiris; discoverer of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus,[40] Prof. Saman Warnakulasuriya ; OBE- Emeritus Professor King's College London, UK & Director WHO Collaborating Centre on Oral Cancer, Major General Janaka Perera; chief of staff of the Sri Lanka Army and one of the most distinguished generals in Sri Lankan history,[41] Prof. J B Disanayake; head of the Department of Sinhala, University of Colombo.,[42] Prof. Kusuma Karunaratne; the first female Professor of Sinhala language[43] Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekera; a prominent Sinhala writer, poet, and essayist[44] and Prof. Neelan Tiruchelvam – A Sri Lankan Tamil politician, peace activist and an internationally respected academic.

The university has been criticized for its high level of ragging with several incidents grabbing national headlines.

[52] These include the death of S. Varapragash in 1997 due to kidney failure following severe ragging by a group of senior students[53] and the permanent disability of Rupa Rathnaseeli in 1975 as a result of having jumped from the second floor of the hostel Ramanathan Hall to escape the physical ragging by the seniors.

[55][56] Songs like "Hanthanata paayana sanda..." by Amarasiri Peiris, "Hanthane kandu muduna sisara..." by W. D. Amaradeva, "Hanthana adaviye meduru kulunu sudu sandaluthalaa pisa..." by Nanda Malini, "Mé nagaraya maa oba munagasunu nagarayayi..." by Mervin Perera, "Hanthane raja dahane...", "Nethu saluna...", "Hantana Desin ena..." are only a few of them.

Movies like Gamini Fonseka's Saagarayak Meda (In the middle of an ocean) and Sugathapala Senarath Yapa's Hanthane Kathawa (The story of Hanthana) are directly based on University of Peradeniya.

UoP is featured in novels: Siri Gunasinghe's Sevanella (The shadow) and Gunadasa Amarasekara's Ek Sathya Kathawak (One true story).

[10][57] In Sarachchandra's novel Heta Echchara Kaluvara Nae (Tomorrow is not that dark), an entire chapter is dedicated to describing the beauty of the university.