The theme for the celebration was the Buddhist contribution to Good Governance and Development. The Urban and Sacred Area Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardena was the special invitee of the occasion:
Thailand and Sri Lanka have been maintaining close Buddhist ties. About three centuries ago during the reign of king Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe (1753) the Great Bikkus of Sri Lanka visited Thailand and Ven. Upali Thera helped to carry on the Upasampada Ceremony and Tradition which is vital to the Sasana.
The great Buddhist sect acknowledged as the Siyam Nikaya came in to being. It is the largest sect in Sri Lanka with two highly respected and revered Buddhist Prelates namely the Mahanayakas of Malwaththa and Asgiriya heading the two interrelated chapters.