Bendigo is located around 150 kilometers north-west of Melbourne and is the fourth largest city in the State of Victoria, Australia. Boasting a rich and prosperous heritage dating back to the gold rush of the 1850s. Bendigo has become one of the fastest-growing regional centres in Victoria.
The Sri Lankan Community Club Bendigo which commenced about 7 years ago has steadily increased in numbers and more recently became an incorporated entity known as Bodhi Dhamma Buddhist Association (Bendigo)Inc, which has proudly commenced the building of a Buddhist temple - Bodhi Dhamma Vihara at The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.
At the heart of the Vihara Temple will be planted, for the first time in Australia, a direct sapling of Sri Mahabodhi of Anuradhapura, the only scared relic globally comparable to the Living Buddha.
The cultural significance of this will live on for generations to come.