How did Ti-Ratana begin?
The Buddhist Maha Vihara in Kuala Lumpur was founded in 1895.
In the 1960s, the late Ven Dr. K Sri Dhammananda set foot in Malaysia and set up the Buddhist Missionary Society (of) Malaysia (BMSM). Until his passing away in 2006, he was the Buddhist Chief High Priest of Malaysia. During his tenure in that position, he invited the current Buddhist Chief High Priest of Malaysia, Ven Datuk Kirinde Sri Dhammaratana to the Buddhist Maha Vihara from Sri Lanka in the 1980s.
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In 1994, Ven Datuk Kirinde Sri Dhammaratana Nayaka Maha Thera, the current Buddhist Chief High Priest of Malaysia (since 2007) had the initiative to set up Ti-Ratana Welfare Society and Welfare Homes, registered the society the same year and was opened in 1997, which eventually let to setting up an entirely new society, named Ti-Ratana Buddhist Society in 2000, back then headquartered in the middle of Kuala Lumpur City Centre. The society's headquarters moved thrice, to Bangsar (2002), Ampang (2006), and back to Bangsar again (2018), which has remained its headquarters ever since.
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Ti-Ratana then opened several branches, in Kepong (currently inactive), Klang, Petaling Jaya, Cheras and Puchong.
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In 2018, Ti-Ratana Buddhist Society branched out to a specific Ti-Ratana Buddhist Society Kuala Lumpur & Selangor, leaving the former Ti-Ratana Buddhist Society Malaysia name for future plans to open temples and centres in other states.