Umandawa

Umandawa Global Buddhist Village, formally registered as Umandawa Maha Vihara Monastery, sits on roughly 70 acres of land in Sri Lanka and functions simultaneously as a working monastery, an organic farm, and an open retreat centre. Originally an abandoned coconut plantation, the land changed hands in 2015 and has since been developed into a self-described self-sufficient Buddhist community. Visitors arrive to find a quietly ordered space where monks and nuns manage daily tours, field questions, and introduce guests to the rhythms of community life.

What is Umandawa Global Buddhist Village?

The community operates as a non-profit organisation under the brand name Umandawa Maha Vihara Monastery, with administrative and fundraising activities coordinated from its Dehiwala office, which trades under the name Siri Sadaham Ashramaya. The founding figure is Siri Samanthabhadra Thero — born in 1975 in Pitiduwa, Galle — who entered the priesthood in 2000 under the name Pitiduwe Siridhamma. His reputation as a persuasive orator grew quickly, attracting a broad lay following before he adopted his current name and title.

The community positions itself around a concept it calls "Living in Presence" — a framework drawing on Theravada Buddhist practice and applied to everyday life through structured modules covering mindfulness, communal work, and ethical consumption. The monastery is open to visitors of all backgrounds; no particular religious affiliation is required to visit or to join its programs.

What can I see and do at Umandawa?

A visit typically begins at the welcome pavilion, where resident monks or nuns are assigned specifically to greet guests, answer questions, and conduct guided walks of the grounds. The tour covers the monastery buildings, meditation halls, and the working farm areas.

• Guided monastery tour: Resident monastics walk visitors through the layout of the community, explaining daily routines, the architectural choices, and the philosophy behind the settlement.
• Organic farm areas: The community grows a range of vegetables, fruits, and leafy greens using organic methods and avoids synthetic fertilisers. Heritage rice varieties and coconut-based products are a particular focus.
• Spiritual programs: Multi-day residential programs are available for guests who wish to stay within the community grounds. These typically combine meditation sessions, dhamma discussions, and participation in communal agricultural work.
• Community products: The monastery produces and sells a range of organic goods including herbal porridge mixes, heirloom rice varieties, coconut flour, spice powders, and botanical hair oils — all sourced from within the community's own land.

Those interested in how Sri Lankan Buddhist monasteries integrate agricultural self-sufficiency with spiritual practice will find Umandawa a useful point of comparison with more traditional institutions. Visitors keen on the country's monastic heritage might also explore Observe Sil, a guide to participating in Sri Lanka's lay precept-taking tradition.

When is Umandawa open, and is there an entrance fee?

The village is open every day of the year, from 7 am to 5 pm. Entry is free for all visitors, regardless of nationality or religious background. There is no requirement to book in advance for a day visit, though guests wishing to join residential spiritual programs should contact the monastery ahead of time to confirm availability and schedule.

What organic products does Umandawa produce?

The community's farm outputs are sold directly and have developed a following among visitors interested in traditional Sri Lankan agriculture and natural wellness. Products are grown without synthetic chemicals and processed on site.

• Heritage rice varieties including Suwandel, Kalu Heenati, Madathawalu, and Rathdal
• Herbal porridge mixes using traditional medicinal plants such as Heenbowitiya, Polpala, and Monara Kudumbiya
• Spice powders — turmeric, cinnamon, and black pepper
• Coconut-derived products: coconut flour, coconut water vinegar, and coconut oil
• Botanical hair oils including butterfly pea and Lunuwila formulations
• Dried flowers including blue pea (butterfly pea) and Wada Mal
• Organic jams and preserves

The emphasis on coconut cultivation is fitting given the land's history as a coconut plantation — the community has retained and expanded those trees while diversifying into vegetables and traditional grains.

What is the philosophy behind the community?

Umandawa describes its purpose as offering practical tools for improving individual and community wellbeing through Buddhist principles. The concept of "Living in Presence" sits at the centre of its teaching modules — an approach that combines mindfulness with everyday actions including farming, communal meals, and service. The community considers self-sufficiency through organic agriculture to be inseparable from spiritual development, treating the farm as both a livelihood and a teaching ground.

This integration of agriculture and practice places Umandawa within a broader Sri Lankan tradition of temple-based land stewardship, though its structure and scale are distinctly contemporary. The community is candid about its aim to serve as a model for sustainable, ethically grounded living — and visitors often come specifically to observe how that model operates in practice.

How do I get to Umandawa from Colombo?

Umandawa is located in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. The most comfortable way to reach it is by private car or taxi from Colombo, using the Southern Expressway; journey time is typically around two to two-and-a-half hours depending on traffic and your exact starting point. Arrange a return pickup in advance, as tuk-tuks and local transport may be limited in the immediate area around the monastery. Visitors combining the visit with a trip along the southern coast may find it convenient to link it with a Galle city tour on the same day.

Is Umandawa suitable for non-Buddhist visitors?

The community explicitly welcomes visitors of all faiths and backgrounds. Day visitors are under no obligation to participate in religious activities, and the guided tour can be approached entirely as a cultural or agricultural experience. Guests who choose to join residential programs are expected to observe basic monastic courtesies — modest dress, silence in designated areas, and a vegetarian diet during their stay — but these are practical requirements rather than conditions of belief.