The University of Peradeniya (Sinhala: පේරාදෙණිය විශ්වවිද්‍යාලය, Tamil: பேராதனைப் பல்கலைக்கழகம்) is a public university in Sri Lanka, funded by the University Grants Commission. It is the largest university in Sri Lanka, which was originally established as the University of Ceylon in 1942. The university was officially opened on 20 April 1954, in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II, by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.