Sangha Profile

Ven. Makuldeniye Somarathana

Ven. Makuldeniye Somarathana is the chief incumbent of the Buddhist Vihara.

Ven. Somarathana (Bhante Soma) was ordained in Sri Lanka in the age of 12. After studying, practising and teaching Buddhism in Sri Lanka for a long time, he started his journey overseas to propagate the Dhamma. Samadhi Buddhist Vihara (SBV) was established under his guidance and leadership in his journey of Dhamma to New Zealand, with the generous support of Sri Lankans and other Buddhist devotees living in Christchurch and Dunedin in 2002. Until today, Ven. Somarathana has been generously spreading the great wisdom of Buddhism in New Zealand and is a pillar of strength to the Sri Lankan Buddhist community in the south island of New Zealand. Ven. Somarathana has also been visiting Australia and the United States, sharing his Dhamma knowledge with the fellow Buddhist communities.