Siam Nikaya
සියම් මහ නිකාය | |
| Named after | the Kingdom of Siam |
|---|---|
| Formation | 20 July 1753 |
| Founder | Upali Thera |
| Type | Monastic order |
| Headquarters | Malwathu Maha Viharaya Asgiri Maha Viharaya |
| Origins | Maha Nikaya (Thailand) |
Region served | Sri Lanka |
| Membership | 18,780 |
Mahanayaka Thera of the Malwatta Chapter | Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera (Since 20 June 2004) |
Mahanayaka Thera of the Asgiriya Chapter | Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thera (Since 7 April 2016) |
Key people | Kandyan king Kirti Sri Rajasinha Siamese king Borommakot Weliwita Sri Saranankara Thera |
| Part of a series on |
| Theravāda Buddhism |
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| Buddhism |
The Siam Nikaya is a monastic order within Sri Lankan Buddhism, founded by Upali Thera of Siam, on the initiatives taken by Weliwita Sri Saranankara Thera to revive Buddhism in Sri Lanka in the mid-18th century. At the beginning it was located predominantly around the city of Kandy but now has spread to the other parts of the country as well. It is named as 'Siam' because it was originated within Thailand (formerly known in Sri Lanka as "Siam Deshaya" and Europe as the "Kingdom of Siam"). The Siam Nikaya has two major divisions (Malwatta and Asgiriya) and five other divisions within these two major units. The Malwatta and Asgiriya chapters have two separate Maha Nayaka Theras or Chief Monks.