Maryland Buddhist Vihara celebrated the Sinhala and Tamil New Year on 19 April 2026, bringing devotees and friends together for traditional observances, festive foods and fellowship under Bhante Uparatana’s guidance, with Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the United States in attendance.

Students from MBV’s Dhamma School for Young Ones joined Bhante Uparatana on stage to sing Sri Lanka’s National Anthem during the 78th Independence Day celebration in Wheaton, sharing their heritage with the Sri Lankan community across the Washington metropolitan area.

Maryland Buddhist Vihara’s 2025 Katina Ceremony brought the Sangha and lay community together for procession, chanting, the ceremonial dyeing of robe cloth and offering of the Katina robe, in a day of devotion, gratitude, fellowship and shared merit for all.

Bhante Uparatana visited Washington’s Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens during the 2025 Lotus and Water Lily Festival, sharing a peaceful summer outing with members of the community amid ponds filled with lotus blossoms, water lilies and the beauty of the natural world.