Launch of SAMHiTA Palm-Leaf Manuscript Digitisation Project at Gangaramaya Temple!
India International Centre (IIC), Delhi in collaboration with the Gangaramaya Temple, Colombo, launched the SAMHiTA (South Asian Manuscript Histories and Textual Archive) Palm-Leaf Manuscript Digitisation Project at the Gangaramaya Temple, on Friday, October 23. The Project is undertaken with financial assistance from Government of India. High Commissioner of India H.E. Santosh Jha attended the launch ceremony and a site visit at the Temple. Venerable Dr. Kirinde Assaji Thero, the chief incumbent of Gangaramayya Temple, Venerable Dr. Pallegama Rathnasara Thero, trustees of the Temple, and Prof. Gamini Ranasinghe, Project Adviser, and his team of local experts, were present.
Project SAMHiTA seeks to preserve the rich intellectual and cultural heritage of South Asia by digitising ancient manuscripts and safeguarding the knowledge they contain, for future generations. These manuscripts are repositories of civilisational wisdom, documenting languages, philosophies, religious traditions, rituals, customs and artistic practices. During the site visit, the Project Adviser and team demonstrated the work of manuscript preservation and the process of digitisation.
Gangaramaya Temple is the first institution in Sri Lanka to partner with IIC under Project SAMHiTA. IIC and the Temple signed an MoU in July 2026 for the digitisation of ancient manuscripts preserved at the Temple. The digitisation is currently underway, led by a team of Sri Lankan experts, and is expected to be completed by the end of November 2026.
Speaking at the ceremony, the High Commissioner expressed appreciation to Venerable Dr. Kirinde Assaji Thero, for his leadership and guidance and Prof. Gamini and his team of experts for their commitment to the initiative. He noted that the Government of India is honoured to support this effort. The project reflects the deep and enduring Buddhist heritage shared by India and Sri Lanka, rooted in centuries of spiritual, intellectual and cultural exchange. The High Commissioner recalled the exposition of the sacred Devnimori Relics of Lord Buddha from India, hosted at the Gangaramaya Temple in February 2026, which brought the peoples of the two countries together in reverence and devotion.
The High Commissioner invited other institutional partners in Sri Lanka that are pursuing the digitisation of ancient manuscripts to collaborate with Project SAMHiTA, where Government of India provides grant assistance for such efforts. He wished the Project every success at the Gangaramaya Temple and expressed the hope that it will be expanded to include more manuscript collections for preservation.
