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UNESCO inscribes 2 submissions from SL in Memory of the World Register
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has added 74 new documentary heritage collections to its Memory of the World Register, bringing the total number of inscribed collections to 570.
The entries – from 72 countries and 4 international organizations – cover topics such as the scientific revolution, women’s contribution to history and major milestones of multilateralism.
Among them are Sri Lanka’s Trilingual Inscription (Tribhasha Sellipiya) and a collection of documents connected with the Pānadurā Vādaya (The Great Debate of Panadura) in 1873 have been inscribed in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has announced.
The Trilingual Inscription is a joint submission with China.
Trilingual Inscription (TribhashaSellipiya)
Submitters: China and Sri Lanka.
The Trilingual Inscription is a stone tablet with Chinese, Persian and Tamil inscriptions, praising Buddha, God Vishnu and Allah. Discovered in 1911 in Sri Lanka by a British engineer, it is now preserved in the Colombo National Museum, with a replica exhibited in the Galle National Museum. Dated 15th February 1409, the tablet was installed by the Chinese Admiral Zheng He. Originally inscribed in the Treasure Boat Shipyard Park in Nanjingin, it was brought to Sri Lanka during his third voyage. The text mentions offerings made to a sacred mountain shrine. This is the only trilingual inscription having texts in Chinese, Tamil and Persian which represent three different regions and cultures.
Documents Connected with the Pānadurā Vādaya (The Great Debate of Panadura) in 1873
Submitter: Sri Lanka.
The four documents, kept at the Rankot Viharaya Buddhist temple in Panadura, hold immense historical, cultural, spiritual, and intellectual value. Created against the backdrop of religious discord between Buddhists and Christians in mid-19th century, they consist of correspondence between the Christian and Buddhist leaders advocating for an open dialogue on doctrinal issues, as well as a transcription of the entire dialogue. This transcription spans 27 and a half page of handwritten text on paper using ink. The event fostered reconciliation and mutual respect between the two religious communities. The English translations, later made available in Europe and the US, had a significant impact on religious activists and scholars in those countries, contributing to the recognition Buddhism as an advanced religion.
