Fostering Shared Buddhist Heritage: India’s Partnership with Sri Lanka
The civilizational relationship between India and Sri Lanka has been shaped over centuries by shared cultural, religious and historical links, with Buddhism serving as one of its most enduring pillars. One of the most significant milestones in this history was the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BCE, with the arrival of Arahant Mahinda Thera during the reign of King Devanampiya Thissa.
Today, this ancient connection continues to shape bilateral relations, with the Government of India undertaking numerous initiatives to preserve and promote the shared Buddhist heritage of both countries.
Demonstrating the commitment to strengthening shared Buddhist heritage, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a dedicated grant of USD 15 million in September 2020 to promote Buddhism ties between the two countries. The projects under this grant are being implemented in consultation and in line with the priorities identified by the Government of Sri Lanka, as is the case for all grants disbursed/ projects undertaken by Government of India, in Sri Lanka. One of the key on-going projects under this grant, is the provision of free solar electricity to nearly 10,000 Buddhist temples and pirivenas across Sri Lanka. Out of this grant, a further USD 5 mn. remains available for initiatives to strengthen our Buddhist ties, as per the priorities of the Government of Sri Lanka. In addition, under Indian credit assistance of USD 17 mn, rooftop solar PV systems have been installed at 5,000 temples, pirivenas and other religious institutions across all 25 districts of Sri Lanka.
During his State Visit to Sri Lanka in April 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced India’s assistance for the development of the Anuradhapura Sacred City Complex, reaffirming the country’s commitment to preserving one of Buddhism’s most revered heritage sites.
Further strengthening the bonds of Buddhist cooperation between the two countries, February 2026 witnessed the exposition of sacred relics of Lord Buddha from Devnimori in Gujarat at Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo. Over a million devotees paid their respects to the sacred Relics. The exhibition followed earlier successful expositions of sacred relics of Lord Buddhafrom Sarnath and Kapilavastu in 2018 and 2012 respectively.
Initiatives to further the close Buddhist ties include establishment of the Indian Gallery at the International Buddhist Museum in Kandy and organising mobile exhibitions on the life of Lord Buddha and the Buddhist Sacred sites in India, at temples across Sri Lanka on Poya Days. The exhibitions have been widely appreciated by monks, devotees, students and the general public for bringing the rich shared Buddhist heritage of India and Sri Lanka closer to the people.Recognizing the importance of nurturing future generations, the High Commission has also distributed Sinhala translations of the Jataka Tales comic books to Dhamma schools across Sri Lanka.
People-to-people exchanges have remained another important pillar of cooperation on Buddhism. India has facilitated numerous pilgrimages by Sri Lankan devotees to the Buddhist Circuit of India. In October 2021, the inaugural Colombo–Kushinagar flight was launched on Vap Poya Day, symbolising the revival of an ancient pilgrimage route.
India has also taken significant steps to preserve and promote the Buddhist literary tradition. In 2024, the Government of India accorded Classical Language status to Pali—the language in which Lord Buddha is believed to have delivered his teachings. The Sri Lankan scholars commended the milestone decision by the Government of India to recognize Pali as a classical language, highlighting it as a reflection of India’s deep commitment to preserving and propagating Buddhist heritage and culture.
Building on this recognition, the High Commission of India in Colombo has undertaken initiatives to promote Pali studies, including organization of a panel discussion on ‘Pali as a Classical Language’ and reprinting of classical Pali grammar texts such as Namamala and Balawatharo. Further strengthening these efforts, the High Commission, in collaboration with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Pathfinder Foundation, is organizing a symposium titled ‘Strengthening Pali Language Studies in Sri Lanka: A Strategic Roadmap for Revival and Global Engagement’ on 24th July in Colombo. The symposium will bring together academics, researchers and scholars to explore practical and scholarly approaches to revitalizing Pali studies in Sri Lanka while ensuring the language’s preservation and continuity for future generations. These activities are carried out as part of initiatives undertaken by the Swami Vivekananda Indian Cultural Centre (SVCC) from its annual budgetary funds allocated for undertaking various activities for promotion of cultural relations between our two countries. Last year, over 500 such events were organised with these funds. This year, too, the trend has continued and the upcoming event for Pali promotion is part of the series of such activities.
As India and Sri Lanka continue to deepen their partnership, Buddhism remains far more than a shared historical legacy. It serves as a living bridge connecting the peoples of both nations through faith, culture, education and heritage. India’s continued commitment towards strengthening and promoting bilateral relations in the sphere of Buddhism reflects a long-standing commitment to strengthening the unique civilizational bond between the two countries.
Roshni Thomson,
– Acting Director, Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre
Colombo 7
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