India-Sri Lanka Partnership Launches Digital Drive to Preserve Ancient Palm-Leaf Manuscripts
October 26, Colombo (LNW): A new initiative to protect South Asia’s ancient literary and cultural heritage through digital technology has been launched at Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo, bringing together Sri Lankan specialists and Indian cultural institutions to preserve valuable palm-leaf manuscripts for future generations.
The South Asian Manuscript Histories and Textual Archive (SAMHiTA) Palm-Leaf Manuscript Digitisation Project was officially inaugurated on October 23. According to the High Commission of India in Colombo, the programme is being carried out by the India International Centre (IIC) in Delhi in partnership with Gangaramaya Temple, with financial support from the Government of India.
The project seeks to safeguard historical documents that offer insights into the region’s rich intellectual traditions, including its languages, philosophical thought, religious beliefs, rituals, customs and artistic practices. By converting fragile manuscripts into digital records, the initiative aims to preserve their contents while making this knowledge more accessible for future research and study.
Gangaramaya Temple has become the first Sri Lankan institution to collaborate with the IIC under Project SAMHiTA. The partnership was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding signed in July 2026, marking a new step in cultural cooperation between the two countries.
A team of Sri Lankan specialists is currently undertaking the digitisation work, with completion expected by the end of November 2026. The process involves carefully handling the delicate palm-leaf materials and creating digital copies that can help protect their contents from physical deterioration over time.
The launch ceremony was attended by Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha, Gangaramaya Temple Chief Incumbent Ven. Dr Kirinde Assaji Thero, Ven. Dr Pallegama Rathnasara Thero, temple trustees and Project Adviser Professor Gamini Ranasinghe.
During a visit to the project site, attendees were given a practical demonstration of the methods being used to preserve and digitise the manuscripts, highlighting the care required to handle historical materials that may be vulnerable to damage.
Addressing the gathering, High Commissioner Jha welcomed the initiative and expressed India’s appreciation for the opportunity to support the preservation of the shared Buddhist heritage of India and Sri Lanka. He underscored the cultural significance of safeguarding historical records that reflect centuries of religious scholarship, learning and artistic expression across the region.
Jha also recalled the exposition of the sacred Devnimori Relics of Lord Buddha from India, which took place at Gangaramaya Temple in February 2026, describing it as another significant moment in the cultural and religious ties between the two countries.
Looking ahead, the High Commissioner invited other Sri Lankan institutions engaged in preserving and digitising ancient manuscripts to explore partnerships under Project SAMHiTA, which offers grant assistance from the Indian Government.
He also expressed hope that the programme would eventually be extended to cover additional manuscript collections, allowing a wider range of historical materials to be preserved and documented.
The initiative is expected to contribute to the long-term protection of Sri Lanka’s manuscript heritage while strengthening opportunities for collaboration between researchers, cultural institutions and preservation specialists in South Asia. By combining traditional conservation practices with digital technology, Project SAMHiTA aims to ensure that knowledge recorded centuries ago remains available to scholars and future generations.
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