India-backed project to digitise Gangaramaya's palm-leaf manuscripts

A landmark project to digitise palm-leaf manuscripts held at Colombo's Gangaramaya Temple was formally launched on Friday, marking a significant step in preserving South Asian cultural heritage. The SAMHiTA (South Asian Manuscript Histories and Textual Archive) Palm-Leaf Manuscript Digitisation Project represents a collaborative effort between the India International Centre in Delhi and the historic Buddhist temple, with financial support from the Indian government.

Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha attended the launch ceremony, underscoring New Delhi's commitment to supporting cultural preservation initiatives across the region. The project aims to create digital records of the temple's collection of palm-leaf manuscripts, which represent invaluable records of South Asian intellectual and religious traditions.

The digitisation effort is expected to enhance accessibility to these historical texts for researchers, scholars, and students while simultaneously safeguarding the fragile originals from deterioration. Palm-leaf manuscripts, many centuries old, require specialised handling and storage techniques to ensure their longevity for future generations.

The collaboration between Indian and Sri Lankan institutions reflects broader regional efforts to document and preserve shared cultural heritage across South Asia. The project's scope extends beyond Gangaramaya, with potential applications for similar manuscript collections housed in temples and institutions throughout the region.

Photo: Gangaramaya Temple on Sri Jinarathana Road, Colombo, May 2016. AKS.9955 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).