The palm leaf manuscripts are considered as valuable cultural heritage, recording history, indigenous knowledge, and wisdom of the ancestors. The palm leaf manuscript collection of the library, University of Sri Jayewardenepura is one of the oldest collections. This collection consists of various subjects such as Buddhism, Indigenous Medicine, Veterinary Science, Rituals (Shanthikarma), Astrology, History and Language. They were written in Pali, Sinhala and Sanskrit languages. Some palm leaf manuscripts were written in both languages (Sinhala and Sanskrit). These palm-leaf manuscripts are dating back to 18th and 19th century A.D.
The Palm leaf manuscript collection is available for all members of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura those who have a membership to access the library and other external researchers on request. It is advisable to contact the Librarian or a nominee in advance to get permission and access to this manuscript collection.
o Library membership is essential to refer the manuscripts
o For external researchers, it is necessary to provide identification or a letter of proof supplied by their affiliation or research institution and they should obtain temporary library membership after paying the relevant fees.
