The Sri Lanka Maha Bodhi Centre is located at Kenneth lane opposite to Egmore Railway Station in
Chennai, India. A small temple of Lord Buddha, named Buddha Vihar, is situated inside the building of the Maha Bodhi Society of India. It is the only Buddhist temple in Chennai. The temple has an 18-ft life-size idol of Lord Buddha in a standing posture (Abhya Mudra) in the main hall. The festival of “Vesak” is celebrated annually in the month of May and cultural programmes are held at the centre. The centre also has a free homeopathic clinic started by the then director of the Chennai Centre, Ven. Ellawala Nandisvara Nayaka Thera, who is also instrumental in building the temple.
On 14 May 2011, Maha Bodhi Nikethanaya, a lodging facility for Buddhist pilgrims from Sri Lanka, was inaugurated in the centre, as part of 2,600th Sri Sambuddhatva Jayanthi celebrations by the Sri Lanka Deputy High Commission in Chennai, which commemorates Buddha’s enlightenment. The five-storeyed building was constructed at a cost of INR 65 million. The building has 32 rooms.
The centre is venerated as a popular temple of “Theravada” worship that is visited by about 120,000 to 150,000 people annually.