Documents Connected with the Pānadurā Vādaya (The Great Debate of Panadura) in 1873

Four items of documentary heritage of Sri Lanka created in 1873 that has an immense historical, cultural, spiritual, and intellectual value to the entire world are kept at a Buddhist temple named Rankot Viharaya at Panadura. They were created in the backdrop of religious discord between the Buddhists and Christians in mid- 19th century. The items consist of correspondence between the Christian and Buddhist leaders, calling for an open dialogue (popularly translated into English as the ‘controversy’) on doctrinal issues of each other’s religion, and the transcription of the entire dialogue that consists of a total of 27 and a half pages of handwritten text on paper using ink. The event allowed both sides to enlighten the attendees over doctrinal matters of each other’s faith by eliminating misunderstandings, thus paving way to reconciliation and mutual respect between the two religious communities for at least the next three decades. The English translations of the transcription of the dialogue made available in Europe and the US made a significant impact among religious activists and scholars in those countries, resulting in recognizing Buddhism as an advanced religion. At present, the documents are not kept under optimal environmental conditions with no easy access to scholars.

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