The week-long Bharat–Sri Lanka Sanskrit Mahotsav was inaugurated today in Colombo by H.E. Santosh Jha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, in the presence of Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna, Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education of Sri Lanka. The inaugural ceremony, held at the University of Colombo, brought together distinguished scholars, members of the clergy, academics, and students to celebrate Sanskrit — the eternal language of wisdom, harmony, and knowledge.
The festival has been jointly organised by the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, the cultural arm of the High Commission of India, Colombo, in collaboration with the Pirivena Education Division of the Ministry of Education, the Central Sanskrit University, New Delhi, and the India–Sri Lanka Foundation.
In his remarks, High Commissioner H.E. Santosh Jha highlighted Sanskrit’s enduring influence on South Asian civilisation and its vital role as a cultural bridge connecting India and Sri Lanka. He noted that Sanskrit’s legacy continues to inspire education, literature, and spiritual thought across generations and borders.
Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna commended the collaborative efforts of the two countries in promoting Sanskrit studies and reaffirmed the Sri Lankan government’s commitment to preserving classical learning traditions within the modern educational framework.
The event began with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp, followed by a Saraswati Vandana presented by students of the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre under the guidance of Guru Shastrapati Asith Attapattu. A mesmerizing Bharatanatyam performance by Pratibha Sangam Award winner Mr. M. Udula Imesh Silva added grace and rhythm to the celebration.
During the occasion, winners of the ICCR’s Pratibha Sangam Competition 2024 from Sri Lanka were felicitated by the High Commissioner and the Deputy Minister. This initiative recognises international performers of Indian classical music and dance and underscores Sri Lanka’s growing engagement with Indian performing arts.
Following the inauguration, a panel discussion on Sanskrit Education in Sri Lanka was held, featuring prominent scholars and monastic leaders representing major Sri Lankan universities and the Pirivena Education Division.
The festival will continue through the week with a spoken Sanskrit workshop for 250 Venerable monk teachers of Pirivenas from all nine provinces, academic sessions, lectures, and cultural performances, highlighting Sanskrit’s relevance as a living tradition and a shared civilisational heritage of India and Sri Lanka.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by the trainee Sanskrit teachers from 250 Pirivenas of Sri Lanka, scholars and students from the University of Kelaniya, the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, the University of Peradeniya, the University of Jaffna, Eastern University, University of Colombo, Gampaha Wickramarachchi University, Buddhist and Pali University, the Bhikshu University, Anuradhapura and the Central Sanskrit University of India. The High Commission of India expressed appreciation to the Pirivena Education Division of the Ministry of Education and the ten participating public universities for their collaboration in Sanskrit Mahotsav in fostering cultural exchange and understanding between the two nations.
