Scholars honoured at annual Bauddhaloka Literary Festival in Colombo

The annual Bauddhaloka Literary Festival, dedicated to honouring literary works and creators engaged with Buddhist themes, concluded at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo. This year's edition, organised under the theme 'Puskola Sahitha Varuna' (The Splendour of Palm-Leaf Literature), underscored the festival's commitment to recognising scholarly and creative contributions to Buddhist literary traditions.

Three recipients were selected for prestigious one-time awards recognising their lifetime contributions to Buddhist scholarship and literature. Among the honourees was Professor K.N.O. Dharmadasa, reflecting the festival's emphasis on acknowledging leading academics whose work has significantly shaped understanding of Buddhist philosophical and literary traditions.

The festival provides a platform for professors, litterateurs, and journalists working across Buddhist cultural themes to receive formal recognition. By focusing on palm-leaf literature traditions, organisers highlighted the historical significance of Buddhist textual heritage while celebrating contemporary scholarship that bridges classical and modern interpretations.

The Bauddhaloka Literary Festival continues to serve as a key annual event for Sri Lanka's Buddhist literary community, fostering dialogue between academic researchers, creative writers, and media professionals engaged with religious and cultural themes.

Photo: The Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo, January 2016. Dan Lundberg via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).