India and Sri Lanka have launched the SAMHiTA (South Asian Manuscript Histories and Textual Archive) Project at Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo to safeguard their common Buddhist heritage. The project will digitise ancient manuscripts and conserve the historical, religious and cultural knowledge they hold. Gangaramaya Temple is the first Sri Lankan institution to join as a partner. A team is digitising 100 old manuscripts, a task due for completion by November 2026. The India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi, is carrying out the project with grant support from the Government of India.
