This international university is being built on the model of the ancient Nalanda University in India, which is considered to be the oldest Buddhist higher education centre. Nearly 50 acre land extent at the ManelwatteViharaya has been earmarked for the new university. The foundation stone was laid in 2013 for the construction of the university and it will be completed by 2016.

The University will comprise of lecture halls, administration buildings, library, spacious auditorium that can accommodate 1500 people, separate students’ residential facilities for 750 men, women and monks and all other facilities needed for the university.

The Naganada International Buddhist University is already functioning in temporary buildings and there are 300 Sri Lankan and foreign students studying in the university. Students from India, Indonesia, Thailand, Burma, Hong Kong and China are among them.

The university consists of the faculties for Buddhism and Philosophy, Holistic Medicine, Social Sciences, Early Buddhist Sources, Practical and Applied Buddhism and Systems of Medicine.

President Sirisena who inspected the university checked the future plans of it.

The piece of land Manelwatta was offered for Buddha Sasana by the late President J. R. Jayewardene and his wife in 1962, stating that a Buddhist studies institution should be built in the land in the future. Making that wish a reality, the Nagananda University was built under the instruction of Ven. Dr. BodhagamaChandimaThero.

Executive Director of the Nagananda International Buddhist University Chief Incumbent of KelaniyaManelwatta Temple Ven. Dr. BodhagamaChandimaThero, Ministers LakshamanKiriella, RuwanWijayawardena, ArjunaRanathunga andJagathSumathipala participated in this occasion.