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False and misleading posts about Venerable Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero appear on Sri Lankan social media with regularity, alongside some of the controversial statements made by the Thero. One such post has resurfaced repeatedly since 2016: a photograph of a man in civilian clothes, accompanied by claims that it shows Gnanasara Thero travelling incognito in Japan. The post has spread widely across Facebook users over the years and continued circulating recently. We investigated who the man in the photograph is.
Social Media Posts :
A post circulated on social media implying that Gnanasara Thero is supporting former president Mahinda Rajapaksa in Sri Lanka, while in Japan he enjoys life leaving behind the monastery life living as a layman. The post was accompanied by a photograph purportedly showing Gnanasara Thero dressed as a layman in a foreign country.
Many people had assumed the man in the photograph was Gnanasara Thero. Others questioned it. Below is another version of the same claim getting shared in 2026.
Fact-Check :
During our examination of the circulating photograph, we noticed that a separate image had also appeared on social media: the same man photographed alongside Gnanasara Thero. That photograph, combined with a fabricated caption, was also being shared. A post by one Facebook user illustrates this:
The Photograph Is of Mr. Sunil Godahena
Our investigation identified the person as Sunil Godahena, a Sri Lankan living in Japan, who bears a striking physical resemblance to Gnanasara Thero. A review of his Facebook profile confirmed this. Archived Link Additional photographs were also found on his Instagram account.
A photograph taken of Sunil Godahena alongside Gnanasara Thero drew comments from those who saw them, noting that the two looked remarkably alike. Below is a comparison of images taken from Sunil’s social media alongside the photo of the viral claim.
We attempted to contact Mr. Sunil Godahena directly but were unable to reach him. However, his daughter Sachini confirmed to AFP Fact Check that the man in the circulating photograph is her father. Photographs of Mr. Sunil Godahena also appear on her Instagram account, including this one.
Bodu Bala Sena Media Division
We also contacted the Bodu Bala Sena Media Division. The Media Secretary confirmed that Sunil Godahena had taken a photograph with Gnanasara Thero when the two met during a visit by Gnanasara Thero to Japan. The Media Secretary stated that Gnanasara Thero subsequently asked a temple in Japan to contact Godahena, but it had not been possible to reach him. The Media Secretary confirmed clearly that the person in the circulating photographs is not Gnanasara Thero, and that false claims had repeatedly been spread using Godahena’s photographs.
Read in Sinhala : ඥානසාර හිමි හිමි ගිහියකු ලෙස ජපානයේ සිටි ඡායාරූපයක් ද?
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Conclusion :
The photograph circulating on social media claiming to show Venerable Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero in lay clothes in Japan is misleading. The man in the photograph is Sunil Godahena, a Sri Lankan resident of Japan who bears a strong physical resemblance to Gnanasara Thero. The two met during a visit by Gnanasara Thero to Japan, took a photograph together, and it is Godahena’s photographs that have since been misused. This was confirmed by Sachini, Godahena’s daughter, and by the Bodu Bala Sena Media Division.
Title: No, This Photo of a Man in Japan Is Not Gnanasara Thero in Lay Clothes ; It is Someone Else Entirely
Fact Check By: Pavithra Sandamali
Result: Misleading
