Mahinda College is a Buddhist boys school in Galle, Sri Lanka. It is a national school, which provides primary and secondary education. The school was established on March 1, 1892 by the Buddhist Theosophical Society led by Colonel Henry Steel Olcott. Mahinda College is one of the oldest and leading Buddhist schools in Sri Lanka. Colonel Henry Steel Olcott, a retired United States army officer was in search of truth. He studied various philosophies and listened to the sermons of various religious dignitaries. But his inquiring mind did not find an answer. In his search he came across a comprehensive report of the Panadurawadaya. It was a report of a religious debate between Buddhist monks and Christian clergy. Olcott appreciated the contentions of the Buddhist monks and started corresponding with the outstanding Buddhist monks of Ceylon. This correspondence eventually led him to visit Ceylon. Col. Olcott landed in Galle on May 17, 1880 in the company of Madame H. P. Blavatsky. They became Buddhists at the Wijeyananda temple in Galle.