To coincide with the Gandhi Centenary Celebrations on 11th September 1968, Dr A T Ariyaratne presented to the then President of Sri Lanka Rt. Hon. Mr William Gopallawa a proposal to commemorate the great work of Mahatma Gandhi.
One of the items of the proposal was to establish a Sarvodaya Ashram.
This became a reality when Vishva Niketan International Peace Centre was inaugurated in 1999 dedicated for spiritual pursuits but very much related to social development.
Vishva Niketan was established close to Sarvodaya Headquarters and was meant to give a spiritual impetus to those who are working with Sarvodaya. It also gives an opportunity to those who are involved with so much of day-today activities to sustain their lives and their families as they too need a break, and ae unable to go to distant forest monasteries. Therefore, Vishva Niketan provides a serene and tranquil natural atmosphere where they could learn meditation and participate in meditation sessions and also have lots of opportunities to add spiritual energy to whatever they are doing in day-to-day life.