FAMILY TREE

Devalakshmi's father Cathiravelu Sittampalam had one brother and two sisters.

• The brother was Cathiravelu Ponnampalam. He too studied at Royal College, Colombo and had a distinguished career as a leading advocate at the Jaffna Bar. He was also the 1st mayor of Jaffna. He was married and had no children.
• Cathiravelu Sittampalam's one sister was Mrs. Kandiah after marriage and her husband was a medical superintendent for the Northern Region-Jaffna. They had four children all daughters. They are:

1.      Mrs. Kamala Sabaratnam, wife if leading Civil/Irrigation Engineer of the Department of Irrigation, Colombo.

2.      Miss. Padma Kandiah, well known religious devotee of Nallur Kandasamy temple and sole contributor for the Nallur Vel Cart festival.

3.      Dr. Miss. Leela Kandiah, Chief Pathologist, General Hospital, Colombo.

4.      Miss. Maheswary Kandiah, Chief Administrative Officer, Department of Health, Colombo

• Cathiravelu Sittampalam's other Sister was Mrs. Casippillai after marriage. Mr. Casipllai popularly known as "sinna" Casipillai was the Third mayor of Jaffna. They had one son Ganeshan.

Cathiravelu Sittampalam’s father was A. Cathiravelu. He had one brother A. Canagasingam. They were the sons of Viswanathar Arumugam, who died early and they were brought up by their uncle Viswanathar Casippillai ( brother of Viswanather Arumugam ).

V. Casipillai was a Crown proctor and a landed proprietor and well-known philanthropist. V. Casipillai was a co-founder and established the Jaffna Hindu College, Manippay Hindu College, Kokuvil Hindu College and Sri Paarvathy Maha Vidyalayam. He was also the President of the Jaffna Hindu Board. He Fought for the rights of the depressed cast people and was instrumented in ensuring that they had full rights to enter Hindu Temples in Jaffna.

V. Casipillai ( "Periya" Casipillai ) had one son and one daughter.

1.       The son was Casipillai Arulampalam ( or better known as C. Arulampalam ) and Devalakshmimi's Maternal grand uncle.

2.       The daughter was Mrs. Subramaniam after marriage. ( Devalakshmi's maternal grand mother).

Casipillai Arulampalam was also a distinguished old boy of Royal College, Colombo, and a leading Advocate in Jaffna. Like his father V. Casipillai he was also a philanthropist and fought for the rights of the depressed cast people and fought for their rights  to enter Hindu Temples in Jaffna.  HE took over the past President of the Hindu Board of Jaffna from his father after his death.

Casipillai Arulampalam first married to the Sister of Arumugam Somasundaram ( who is Devalakshmi's Father in Law ). She died in confinement and there were no children by that marriage.

Casipillai Arulampalam's second marriage was to Rasammah and they had one Son and three Daughters.

1.       Son : Arulampalam Viswanathan.

Daughters :

1.       Maheswary who married Dr. Thanabalasingam

2.       Vallambigai who married Dr. Paramanathan

3.       Kamalambigai who married Mr. Subramaniam

Arulampalam Viswanthan was a well-known Proctor and the Lanka Sama Samaja Party organizer for Jaffna. He contested the Jaffna Parliamentary seat under the L.S.S.P banner. He was also a Teacher at Chavakachcheri Hindu College and also wrote a book on Civics fro year 6 approved by the Department of Education. He was also a Director of the National Salt Corporation and the Palmyra Board.

Arulampalam Viswanathan married Maheswary Sabaratnam and had one daughter - Yasothara.

Yasothara Viswanathan married Nagendra ( United Kingdom), son of MR & Mrs Manickavasagar.

Maheswary Arulampalam married Dr. Thanabalasingam and they had four children.

1.       Thilaga, who married Mahadeva, Accountant - Canada.

2.       Geetha who married Vamatheva, Electrical Engineer United Kingdom.

3.       Balendra, United Kingdom

4.       Yasotharan, United Kingdom

Vallambigai Arulampalam married Dr. Paramanathan, and they had three children.

1.       Logini ( United Kingdom )

2.       Mohini ( United Kingdom)

3.       Dr. Vigneswaran ( United Kingdom )

Kamalambigai Arulampalam married Sabaratnam Subramaniam Civil Engineer and Director of Highways, Central Province and had three children.

1.       Mohan, Civil Engineer, United Kingdom who married Kumari, eldest daughter of former Surveyor General T. Somasundaram.

2.       Yohan - Accountant, USA

3.       Dr. Indhumathy, United Kingdom.

Casipillai Arulampalam had one sister - Mrs. Subramaniam. Mr. Subramaniam was a leading advocate. Mr. & Mrs. Subramaniam had two children.

1.       Kamalambigai Subramaniam ( Devalakshmi's Mother )

2.       Subramaniam Gurunathan

Casippillai Arulampalam married Rasammah Sampanther. Her brother was Sampanther Sabaratnam, superintendent of Real Estate, Rubber plantations and he married and had seven children.

1.       Dr. S. Arulampalam ( Dental Surgeon ) who married Saraswathy Rajakariar.

2.       Mr. Sabaratnam Subramaniam ( Civil Engineer ) who married Kamalambigai Arulampalam ( Casipillai Arulampalam's daughter ) and had three children - Mohan, Yohan & Dr. Indhumathy.

3.       Maheswary Sabaratnam who married Arulampal Viswanathan ( C. Arulampalam's son) and had one daughter Yasothara.

4.       Dr. S. Muthucumarasamy who married Bhagawathy Rajakariar. 

5.       Mr. Sabaratnam Mahadeva, Telecommunication Engineer who married Gnaneswary and had three children Ananth, Amaranath and Aravinth.

6.       Parameswary Sabaratnam who married Dr. Ragunathan General Practioner, United Kingdom.

7.       Kamalambigai Sabaratnam who married Balasubramaniam

A. Cathiravelu had two marriages. The children by one marriage were :

1.       Cathiravelu Sittampalam ( Devalakshmi's father).

2.       Cathiravelu Ponnampalam

3.       Mrs. Kandiah

4.       Mrs. Casipillai

Mrs. Manickawasagar was the child of the other marriage. Mr. & Mrs. Manickawasagar's son is Nagendra who married Yasothara Viswanathan, daughter of Arulampalam Viswanathan.

A. Kanagaratnam is the younger brother of A. Cathiravelu. He built and established Kanagratnam Maha Vidyalayam, which was also known as Stanley College. He was the Chairman of the Urban Council of Jaffna, and he contested and won the Northern Province seat in Legislative Council.

Cathiravelu Sittampalam married Kamalambigai Subramaniam niece of Casipillai Arulampalam and they had five children.

1.       Devalakshmi Sittampalam, Attorney-at-Law. She married Somasundaram Balasundaram ( Eldest son of Arumugam Somasundaram).

2.       Pushpalakshmi Sittampalam, Attorney-at-Law.

3.       Arjuna Sittampalam, Investment Banker.

4.       Yogalakshmi Sittampalam.

5.       Mallikalakshmi Sittampalam

• Pushpalakshmi Sittampalam was the second daughter of Cathiravelu Sittampalam and Kamalambigai  Sittampalam. She was educated at St. Bridget’s Convent, Colombo and obtains a LLB degree from the Sri Lanka Law College and took her oaths as an Attorney-at-Law and Notary Public. She practiced in the chambers of Mr. Navaratnarjah, QC Dr. H. W. Thambiah, QC and former Chief Justice Sharvananda. She pre-deceased her elder sister Devalakshmi and passed away on 8th February 1992.

Arjuna Sittampalam was the third child of Cathiravelu Sittampalam and Kamalambigai Sittampalam. He was educated at Royal College, Colombo and obtained a Degree in Mathematics with First Class Honours at the University of Colombo. He became a lecturer in Mathematics at the same University. He obtained a Doctorate at the Imperial College of Science and Technology in the United Kingdom and was a qualified actuary. He is a well sought after Investment Banker all over the world including Great Britain and is a consultant to many leading International Banks in United Kingdom and European Government Institutions. He has also written books on Investment Banking for Top Bankers and investors.

Arjuna Sittampalam married Nela De Silva. Nela De Silva is the niece of Dr. Colvin R. De. Silva, former Minister in the cabinet of Ministers with Mrs. Srimavo Bandaranayake as the Prime Minister.

Arjuna Sittampalam and Nela Sittampalam have one child Ganesh Sittampalam who currently holds the world record, recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as the youngest student in the world to complete the G.C.E ( O/L ) Youngest to complete G.C.E. ( A/L ) / 1988, Youngest Undergraduate (1990), youngest  Graduate (1992), at the age of 12 from the University of Surrey, ad he is now completing a Doctorate in Computer Science at Oxford University.

Yogalakshmi Sittampalam is the forth child of the Cathiravelu Sittampalam and Kamalambigai Sittampalam. She was also educated at St. Bridget’s Convent, Colombo, and graduated in Mathematics from the University of Colombo and later lectured in the same University. She is qualified Statistician and worked for the National Health Service, United Kingdom.

Mahalakshmi Sittampalam is the youngest daughter of Cathiravelu Sittampalam and Kamalambigai Sittampalam. She was also educated at St. Bridget’s Convent, Colombo, and graduated in Mathematics at the University of Colombo and later lectured at the same University. Later on, she obtained an MSc in Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin, USA.

Devalakshmi Sittampalam married Somasundaram Balasundaram. Somasundaram Balasundaram was the eldest son of the Arumugam Somasundaram and Arulammah Saravanamutthu. Arumugam Somasundaram was a Brilliant Mathematician ad was the Principal of Stanley College ( Kanagaranam Maha Vidyalayam).

Somasundaram Balasundaram studied at Jaffna Hindu College and later at Benarts University, India. He won a full scholarship to the USA, and was a brilliant Chemical Engineer. He was a much sought after Industrial expert and worked as General Manager / Consultant - Schweppes, Oils and Fats Corporation, Works Managers Lever Brothers, General Manager Paranthan Chemicals Corporation and Harischandra  Mills. While at Lever Brothers, he was responsible for introducing a new formula for LUX Toilet soap, which become very popular at that time. He died at a very young age.

Somasundaram Balasundaram had four younger brothers and three younger sisters. They are :

1.       Somasundaram Rajasundaram, who married Paramsothy Ponnampalam and had one son Shankaran and a daughter Archana.

2.       Somasundaram Ganeshasundaram, Chemical Engineer, who married Shanthi Sabaratnam and had two sons Romesh and Dinesh and on daughter Ruksha. Ruksha married Elangenthiran ( United Kingdom) son of Mr. & Mrs Tharmalingam.

3.       Somasundaram Sivasundaram, Chemical Engineer and Deputy General Manager of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation who married Ramola Muthukrishna, granddaughter of Lawrie Muthukrishna, founder of the Polytechnic, Colombo. They have one son and a daughter Renu.

4.       Somasundaram Shanmugasundaram, Chemical Engineer died at a young age.

His sisters are :

1.       Dr. Kamaladevi who married Dinker Muthukrishna and had two sons Prakash and Divakar and one daughter Manjula.

2.       Dr. Manoranjitham married late Dr. Vamadeva and they had one daughter Vasanthy.

3.       Chandra Somasundaram married late S. Sathiamoorthy and had two sons Sivakumar and Nandakumar and two daughters Sivahamy and late Prashanthy.

Arumugam Somasundaram's (Devalakshmi’s Father in Law) sister married Casipillai Arulampalam and she died in confinement. There were no children by this marriage.

Arulammah Saravanamuththu ( Devalakshmi's Mother in Law) had three sisters and two brothers.

The sisters were:

1.       Paramsthy who married Sabaratnam

2.       Miss. Saravanamuththu

3.       Jegasoth who married Navaratnaraja

The Brothers were :

1.       Dr. Thanabalasingam who married Maheswary Arulampalam ( Casipillai Arulampalam's daughter) Their children were Thilaga, Geetha, Balendra and Yasotharan.

2.       Dr. Paramanathan who married Vallambigai Arulampalam ( Casipillai Arulampalam's daughter). Their Children were Logini, Mohini & Dr. Vigneswara.

Devalakshmi Sittampalam married Soamsundaram Balasundaram and they had one son an one daughter.

The son is Balasundaram Anandkumar. Anandkumar completer his education at Royal College, Colombo, and started his career as an Accountant at the corporate planning division of the C.W.E and later diversified into Information Technology and became a well known computing lecturer preparing students for British Examinations such as CIMA & IDPM at Oxonia Institute for Accounting Studies. He was a computer and Education consultant to many organizations. He is now the Managing Director of the British Business School.

Balasundaram Anandkumar married Vasugi Suntharalingam of Kattudai, Manippay. Vasugi was a Ex-Teacher of St. Bridget’s Convent Colombo, and they had two sons, Sivadharshan who passed away early and Linesh who is a year 3 student at Royal College, Colombo. Linesh Anandkumar is the 5th generation of the family to study at Royal College.

The daughter is Suloshana Padmini. She completed her education at St. Bridget’s Convent, Colombo and is a qualified Montessori and Elocution teacher. She is currently the Montessori Teacher at Good Shepherd Convent, Colombo.