Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, the cultural arm of the High Commission of India, Colombo and the Department of National Museums, Government of Sri Lankan in collaboration with Bihar Museum, Patna and National Gallery of Modern Arts, New Delhi, India organised a Special Exhibition titled ‘Echoes of Enlightenment- Light in Stone, Breath on Canvas’ at the Colombo National Museum premises commemorating the blessed Poson Poya.
H.E. Santosh Jha, the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka inaugurated the weeklong exhibition today in presence of the dignitaries where six sculptures of the Buddha found in Sri Lanka during 16th to 18th century are on display. The exhibition celebrates India’s rich Buddhist sculptural and painting legacy and presents rare photographic displays of iconic Buddha sculptures dating from the 1st century BCE to the 11th century CE. It showcases striking images of ancient Buddha sculptures excavated from various regions of India, now housed in the Bihar Museum. These sculptures reflect the spiritual depth and exquisite craftsmanship of early Buddhist artists and offer visitors a unique opportunity to experience the artistic and devotional expressions of Buddhist art from this formative period. The Exhibition also displays the rare painting on Lord Buddha available at the National Gallery of Modern Arts, New Delhi, which is open to the public from 10 to 15 June 2025 at the Colombo National Museum.
On the occasion of Poson Full Moon Poya Day, High Commission of India in Colombo distributed 600 copies of the Sinhala translations of five Amar Chitra Katha comic books based on Jataka Tales at a special event held on 8th June 2025. The books were distributed to the students of Sri Bimbarama Dhamma School in Kolamunna, Piliyandala and Sri Siddhartha Dhamma School, Rathmalana. Professor Ankuran Dutta, Director of the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, symbolically handed over the books to the students. This initiative not only promotes the shared cultural and literary heritage between India and Sri Lanka but also encourages young learners to explore timeless moral values and teachings of Lord Buddha through a creative and engaging approach.
These initiatives reflect the continuing commitment of India to preserve, share, and celebrate the common Buddhist heritage of India and Sri Lanka. It is a reaffirmation of the deep-rooted civilizational ties and enduring cultural bond that unite the two nations through the timeless teachings of the Lord Buddha.
