The second guest lecture titled “Shared Buddhist Art Between Sri Lanka and India” of the academic lecture series, organized by the Archaeology Students’ Society of the Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, was successfully held on 25 May 2026 at the Auditorium of the Faculty of Social Sciences.

The lecture was delivered by Associate Professor Elora Tribedy of the Department of Archaeology at the School of Historical Studies, Nalanda University, India. Associate Professor Tribedy is a distinguished scholar in South Asian archaeology, Buddhist visual culture, and critical heritage studies. Her academic and field experience spans several countries in South and Southeast Asia, including Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

The lecture explored the deep historical, artistic, and cultural connections between Sri Lanka and India through the shared legacy of Buddhism. Associate Professor Tribedy discussed the development of Buddhist art and iconography across the two regions, highlighting the transregional exchanges that shaped religious and artistic traditions in South Asia. During the session, she also emphasized the importance of understanding Buddhist heritage within the broader cultural and maritime networks of the Indian Ocean region. Her presentation provided valuable insights into Buddhist visual culture, heritage studies, and the continuing significance of shared cultural traditions between Sri Lanka and India.

The programme was attended by academic staff and students of the Department of Archaeology, as well as current and former Sri Lankan students of Nalanda University. The interactive discussion session following the lecture enabled students and academic staff members to engage directly with the guest speaker on issues related to Buddhist heritage, archaeology, and transregional cultural connections across Asia.

The programme also created an important platform for academic interaction and future scholarly collaboration between the University of Kelaniya and Nalanda University. Before the lecture, a special discussion session was held with Prof. Chaminda Abeysinghe, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences; Prof. Chandima Bogahawatta, Head of the Department of Archaeology; Senior Prof. Anura Manatunga; and former Sri Lankan students of Nalanda University.

At the conclusion of the event, a token of appreciation was presented to Associate Professor Elora Tribedy by Prof. Chandima Bogahawatta, Head of the Department of Archaeology, accompanied by Ms Oshadi Wijesinghe, President of the Archaeology Students’ Society.