Palm-leaf manuscript digitisation project launched at Gangaramaya with Indian assistance

On Friday, October 23, the India International Centre (IIC) in collaboration with the Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo inaugurated the South Asian Manuscript Histories and Textual Archive (SAMHiTA) Palm-Leaf Manuscript Digitisation Project at the Gangaramaya Temple. The initiative, funded by the Indian government, aims to safeguard the knowledge contained in ancient manuscripts for future generations.

Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha attended the launch ceremony, which was also attended by the temple's chief incumbent, Venerable Dr. Kirinde Assaji Thera, Venerable Dr. Pallegama Rathnasara Thera, trustees, and Project Adviser Prof. Gamini Ranasinghe.

The project focuses on preserving South Asia's rich intellectual and cultural heritage through digitisation of ancient manuscripts. These manuscripts hold essential information about languages, philosophies, religious traditions, rituals, customs, and artistic practices. During the site visit, the Project Adviser and team demonstrated the preservation methods and digitisation process.

Gangaramaya Temple became the first institution in Sri Lanka to partner with IIC under Project SAMHiTA, with an MoU signed in July 2026 for the digitisation of manuscripts. The digitisation process is currently underway by a team of Sri Lankan experts and is expected to be finished by the end of November 2026.

In his address, the High Commissioner praised Venerable Dr. Kirinde Assaji Thera's leadership and Prof. Gamini and his team's dedication to the project. He highlighted that the Indian government is honored to support this effort, emphasizing the deep and enduring Buddhist heritage shared between India and Sri Lanka. The High Commissioner recalled the recent exposition of the sacred Devnimori Relics of Lord Buddha at the Gangaramaya Temple in February 2026, which brought the nations together in reverence and devotion.

The Indian High Commissioner encouraged other Sri Lankan institutions engaged in digitising ancient manuscripts to collaborate with Project SAMHiTA, which offers grant assistance for such endeavors. He wished the project every success at the Gangaramaya Temple and expressed hope that it will expand to include more manuscript collections for preservation.