Mahakavi Kiwisuru Tennakoon Arachchige Don Raphael (19 December 1899 – 8 March 1965; Sinhala: රැයිපියල් තෙන්නකෝන්), popularly known as Raipiyel Tennakoon or Raphael Tennekoon, was a prominent Sri Lankan poet, teacher principal, historian and a writer.
[1][2] He was born in 1918 in Ganepola Walallavitigalle village in Negombo, Sri Lanka as the youngest child of the family with six siblings.
Raipiyel became the favorite student of Heenatiyana David de Silva, the first teacher of Raddoluwa Buddhist School.
[5] Raphael Tennakoon, Jayantha Weerasekera and Amarasiri Gunawadu were the leading figures in the Hela Havula.
[3] After the death of Jayantha Weerasekera on 18 June 1949, Raipiyel took the responsibility of leading the Hela Hawula.
[5] However, rulers harassed his skills in several times and ended his career as the head of the Training College after few years.
[7] After serving as the principal of several schools,[8] Raipiyel finally retired from the education administrative career.
Raipiyel later won the competition and received the Opportunity to write the history of Sinhala nation in 2500 verses from the time Prince Vijaya came to Sri Lanka to the time of the Prime Minister Sir John Kotelawala.
His six great poems include: Sak Pubuduwa, Kuveniwata, Gamayanaya, Amuna, Parangi Samaya, Kopi Andaraya.