Rāmañña Nikāya

Rāmañña Nikāya (රාමඤ්ඤ නිකාය, also spelled Ramanya Nikaya) is one of the three major Buddhist orders in Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1864 when Ambagahawatte Saranankara,[1] returned to Sri Lanka after being ordained by the Neyyadhamma Munivara Sangharaja of Ratnapunna Vihara in Burma. It is one of three Sri Lankan orthodox Buddhist orders, along with Siam Nikaya and Amarapura Nikaya.

Rāmañña Nikāya
Formation1864
TypeBuddhist monastic order
HeadquartersMula Maha Vihara, Payagala, Kalutara, Sri Lanka
LeaderMost Ven. Napana Premasiri Thera (Head)
Key people
Most Ven. Ambagahawatte Indrasabhawara Gnanasami Maha Thera (Founder)


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On 16th of August 2019, the Amarapura and Rammana Nikaya were unified as the Amarapaura-Ramanna Samagri Maha Sangha Sabha, making it the largest Buddhist fraternity in Sri Lanka.[2]

Similar orders

Rāmañña Nikāya is said to be similar to the Thammayut Nikaya order of Thailand. Rāmañña Nikāya is currently survived in Thailand, Burma and Sri Lanka.

The Most Ven. Napana Premasiri Thero was appointed the Head of the Rāmañña Nikāya on 3 September 2012 following the demise of Venenerable Weweldeniye Medhalankara Thera aged 103.[3][4]

Rāmañña Nikāya was established on 12 June 1864 in participation with Ven. Ambagahawatte Indaasabhawara Gaanasaami Maha Thera, Ven.Puwakdandawe Paññānanda, Ven.Warāpitiye Sumitta thera.

First Maha Nayaka Thero - Most Ven. Ambagahawatte Indrasabhawara Gnanasami Maha Thera. Main Station - Mūla Maha Viharaya ,Payagala, Kalutara.

Ascetic Tendency

In the beginning, the Majority of monasteries of Rāmañña Nikāya were forest monasteries. Although many village temples have been emerged in modern days, the forest tradition is still being continued by Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Samstha of Rāmañña Nikāya which is the most strictest forest tradition in Sri Lanka.

Resistance to Modernization

Though it has been impossible to resist completely, many old and simple traditions have been still survived in Rāmañña Nikāya. The monks of the Nikaya can be distinguished by the traditions such as using palm leaf umbrellas and alms bowls and covering both shoulders while traveling. "Ramanna nikaya had its own distinctive style. They used begging bowls instead of plates. Instead of umbrellas, they used folded palmyrah leaves, in the form of “bogava”. The bogava introduced by Ambagahawatte was made usable by CB Nugawela, chairman of the Up country Sabha for the Protection of Nikaya. They wore robes that were dyed according to the traditional rules."[5]

Meditation Practice

Most of the well known 'Forest Meditation Masters' and 'Forest Meditation Centers' are said to be in Rāmañña Nikāya. Most ven. Matara Sri Gnanarama maha thera who lived in Mitirigala Nissarana Vanaya was the 'Father of the Sri Lankan Forest Meditation Tradition'. Most ven. Katukurunde Nyanananda Mahathera, Most ven. Udairiyagama Dhammajiva Mahathera and Most ven. Nauyane Ariyadhamma Mahathera were the great meditation masters of Rāmañña Nikāya Forest Tradition.

Currently Mitiigala Nissarana Vanaya forest monastery, Na Uyana forest monastery and Sanghopasthana Suva Sevana monastery are considered to be the most strictest and widely accepted meditation centers of Sri Lanka.

Mahanayaka Theros of Rāmañña Nikāya

The following is a list of Mahanayaka theros of Sri Lanka Ramanna Nikaya.

  1. Ven. Ambagahawatte Indrasabhawara Gnanasami Maha Thera (1880–1886) අතිපූජ්‍ය අඹගහවත්තේ ඉන්ද්‍රාසභවර ඤාණසාමි මහා ථේර
  2. Ven. Deepegoda Saddammawara Jothipala Seelakkandabidhana Maha Thero (1887-1916) අතිපූජ්‍ය දීපේගොඩ සද්ධම්මවර ජෝතිපාල සීලක්ඛන්ධාභිධාන මහා ථේර
  3. Ven. Obadakannde Siri Vimalananda Maha Thero (1917-1924) අතිපූජ්‍ය ඕබඩකන්දේ සිරි විමලානන්දතිස්ස මහා ථේර
  4. Ven. Matara Gnanindasaba Maha Thero (1924-1937) අතිපූජ්‍ය මාතර ඤාණින්දාසභ මහා ථේර
  5. Ven. Kodagoda Upasenabhidhana Maha Thero (1937-1939) අතිපූජ්‍ය කෝදාගොඩ උපසේනාභිධාන මහා ථේර
  6. Ven. Matale Dhammasiddhi Maha Thero (1939-1940) අතිපූජ්‍ය මාතලේ ධම්මසිද්ධි මහා ථේර
  7. Ven. Karathota Siri Indasarathissa Maha Thero (1941-1954) අතිපූජ්‍ය කරතොට සිරි ඉන්දසාරතිස්ස මහා ථේර
  8. Ven. Hisselle Siri Gnanodaya Maha Thero (1954-1966) අතිපූජ්‍ය හිස්සැල්ලේ සිරි ඤාණෝදය මහා ථේර
  9. Ven. Deepegoda Chandavimala Maha Thero (1966-1976) අතිපූජ්‍ය දීපේගොඩ චන්දවිමල මහා ථේර
  10. Ven. Induruwe Uttharanandabidhana Maha Thero (1976-1986) අතිපූජ්‍ය ඉඳුරුවේ උත්තරානන්දාභිධාන මහා ථේර
  11. Ven. Pottewela Pannasara Maha Thero (1986-1997) අතිපූජ්‍ය පොත්තේවෙල පඤ්ඤාසාර මහා ථේර
  12. Ven. Weweldeniye Medhalankara Maha Thero (1998–2012) අතිපූජ්‍ය වේවැල්දෙණියේ මේධාලංකාර මහා ථේර
  13. Ven. Napana Pemasiri Maha Thero (2012–2020) අතිපූජ්‍ය නාපාන පෙමසිරි මහා ථේර
  14. Ven. Makulewe Wimala Maha Thero (2020-present) අතිපූජ්‍ය මකුලෑවේ විමල මහා ථේර

See also

References
  1. The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism,2014,p.696
  2. Amarapura and Ramanna denominations unified, the Morning Lanka, accessed 2019.08.17
  3. www.adaderana.lk http://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=19493. Retrieved 2020-11-18. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. Times, Colombo (2020-11-17). "Most Venerable Napane Pemasiri Thera, the 13th Mahanayake of the Sri Lanka Ramanna Maha Nikaya passes away at 98". Colombo Times. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  5. Kamalika Pieris, Buddhist Nikayas in Sri Lanka part 3, May 5th, 2020
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