Maryland Community Raises US$17,000 for Cyclone Ditwah Relief

The Sri Lankan community of Maryland came together in an extraordinary act of generosity, raising US$17,000 — approximately Rs. 5.2 million — for the Rebuild Sri Lanka Fund, in support of Government initiatives to restore the lives of those affected by Cyclone Ditwah.

Most Venerable Katugastota Uparatana Thera, Chief Judicial Sanghanayaka of the United States and Chief Incumbent of Maryland Buddhist Vihara, presented the donation to Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States, Mahinda Samarasinghe, on January 23, 2026. The event was held at the Maryland International Buddhist Temple.

The donation was organised under Bhante's guidance in his capacity as Chairman of the Uparatana Paramitha Foundation, with funds generously contributed by members of Sri Lankan organisations and associations across Maryland, as well as devotees of the temple.

Ambassador Samarasinghe commended Bhante's decades of social service, noting that he has acted as an "unofficial ambassador" of the United States — consistently winning the trust and respect of the Sri Lankan community.