India and Sri Lanka strengthened their cultural ties through the preservation of shared Buddhist heritage. The SAMHiTA Project -South Asian Manuscript Histories and Textual Archive was launched at Colombo’s Gangaramaya Temple, a project to digitize ancient manuscripts and preserve their historical and cultural knowledge. The project is undertaken by the India International Centre in New Delhi with grant assistance from the Government of India. Gangaramaya Temple is the first institution in Sri Lanka to partner with the initiative.
Under an MoU signed in July this year, one hundred ancient manuscripts preserved at the temple are being digitized by a team of local experts. India is providing support to the initiative, with the digitization work expected to be completed by the end of November. The manuscripts preserve valuable knowledge relating to religious traditions, philosophy, languages and cultural practices.
The initiative reflects the enduring Buddhist and civilizational links between India and Sri Lanka. By preserving these historical records in digital form, SAMHiTA seeks to safeguard an important part of South Asia’s shared heritage and encourage more institutions in Sri Lanka to join the effort.
