Mr. Welauthampillai Sangarapillai was born on 4th of July 1842, to Mr. Welauthampillai and Ponnammah a family of great beve factors. He received his education at Chundukuli seminary now known as St. John’s College Jaffna.
After completing his education in Jaffna, he proceeded to the Metropolis to seek his fortunes there. He joined M. S.Volbart Bros as Broker, little realizing that one day or other his efforts will be crowned with great success. His great instincts for business paved the way to establish his own firm of importers in textiles and other commodities which soon made him wealthy.
Having established himself he soon turned his attention to build everlasting monuments for the service of his fellow men and his birth place.
The want of an institution to impart higher education on national lines had long been felt by the leading gentlemen of Manipay and their dormant feelings were stirred up by an eminent American educationist Mr. Myron Phelps who in the course of a lecture in 1910 at Vivekananda Hall Manipay showed them clearly the necessity of establishing a college on national lines.
A committee consisting of the “Elite” of the village approached Mr.W.Sangarapillai and appealed for funds and the response was marvellous, Mr. Sangarapillai, a leading broker and known as the “Prince” in the business circles who could found a college offered the necessary lands and funds. The present premises of the school his chief endowment was selected as the most suitable site for the building of the school.
The foundation stone for the building of this college was laid on Monday 4th inst at 7 pm by Sir.Joseph Hutchinson. M.A, Chief Justice of Ceylon in the presence of a large representative gathering in response to the invitation of W.Sangarapillai.
The Manipay Hindu college which he founded with the Co-operation of a band of sincere coadjutors is the greatest land mark of his philosophy. The cross road that runs by the Manipay Hindu college known as Sangarapillai road is another testimony of his beneficiations.
The one striking outstanding quality he possesses is the simplicity of a religious mind. It is the grass-root simplicity of the Jaffna Tamil Saiva background. Deep down, life is simple. He discovered it very early without a wild-goose intellectual chase. It is native and ancestral to him.
The foundation of the college by Mr.Sangarapillai was the result of a noble motive.
M.S.Jeganathan (B.Sc Hons)
(Great Grandson of W.Sangarapillai)
Source : Manipay Hindu College century year magazine 2010