American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies

Register here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regist…

The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka (MMCA), Fulbright Commission and American Institute for Lankan Studies (AILS) recently collaborated on the digitization and first public screening of the late Fulbright alum Mark LaPore’s 1996 film titled Depression in the Bay of Bengal. AILS supported the digitization and 2K scanning of the film, originally shot on 35mm which was digitized by Canyon Cinema, USA. The film was screened as a part of the first moving image exhibition in Sri Lanka by MMCA Sri Lanka, titled Three Songs of Ceylon which was held at the Park Street Mews, Colombo and curated by Sandev Handy and assisted by Thinal Sajeewa, and Nimaya Harris. ‘Three Songs of Ceylon’ takes as its starting point ‘The Song of Ceylon’ (1934), a film commissioned by the Ceylon Tea Propaganda Board under British colonial rule. #digitization #SriLanka #exhibitions

Register here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regist… A Zoom book talk on Karmic Realism: Narrative Methods in Sinhala Prose from the Buddhist Classics to Post-realist Fiction by Liyanage Amarakeerthi, chaired by Charles Hallisey. #booktalk #srilanka #BuddhistStudies #literarystudies

New to the AILS Colombo Library ! The Story of Furniture in Sri Lanka: History of Religious, Secular and Domestic Furniture in Sri Lanka (Ceylon) 3 BCE to 18 CE by Ayesha Abdur-Rahman, PhD (National Trust Sri Lanka, 2025). The book traces the evolution of furniture in Sri Lanka from ancient times to the early modern period, using archaeological evidence, artistic representations, and surviving artifacts to document religious, secular, and domestic traditions. Drawing on original research and unpublished images, it examines the development of furniture styles over centuries and the influence of early colonial encounters, offering valuable insight into the island’s design and cultural history.  #NewBook #history #decorativeart #srilanka #furniture

The American Institute for Lankan Studies, in collaboration with the Chitrasena Vajira Dance Foundation and Princeton University Library, has undertaken the digitization of a scrapbook maintained by one of Sri Lanka’s veteran dancers, the late Guru Chitrasena. This scrapbook spans the period from the 1920s to the 1960s, showcasing our vibrant dance history and the emergence of dance theatre in Sri Lanka. The project is currently underway. #SriLanka #AILS #chitrasenadancecompany #performingarts #digitization

On 11 December, to mark the successful completion of the collaboration between the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya (PGIAR), the Brohier Estate, and the American Institute for Lankan Studies (AILS), representatives of the three institutions met for a formal handover. The collaboration involved the transfer of books from R. L. Brohier’s private library, their cleaning and preservation, and their acquisition into the Library of the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology. In addition, three books were digitized as part of the project. During the meeting, AILS handed over flash drives containing the digitized materials to the Chief Librarian of the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology, Mrs. Monika Bulathsinhala, and to the Administrator of the late R. L. Brohier Estate, F. Perry Brohier. The R. L. Brohier Collection now constitutes the eighth Special Collection of the PGIAR Library and is open to the public. #SriLanka #LibraryCollections

New to the AILS Library ! Empire, Tourism, and Colonial Knowledge in Nineteenth-Century Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka by Mikko Toivanen (Leiden University Press, 2025).  This book offers a critical examination of early tourism, positioning nineteenth-century travel writing as a central site for the production of colonial knowledge. Through a comparative, trans-imperial analysis of British and Dutch travel accounts from Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka, the book argues that ostensibly leisurely forms of travel were deeply implicated in the cultural and political logics of empire, contributing to the representation, normalisation, and legitimisation of colonial rule. #History #srilanka #newbook #SoutheastAsia

Congratulations to Nihara De Alwis! The American Institute for Lankan Studies is delighted to announce Ms. Nihara De Alwis’  appointment as Digital Librarian at South Asia Open Archives.  This collaboration between SAOA and AILS marks a new step in advancing digital access to knowledge and preserving invaluable resources for the region.

The Pop Art and South Asia Conference was held on 15–16 December at the Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre, Jaffna. The conference examined a major yet largely underexplored development in modern and contemporary South Asian art: its engagement with popular culture from the mid-twentieth century to the present. The conference was convened by Iftikhar Dadi (Cornell University, USA) and T. Sanathanan (University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka) and was co-sponsored by the American Institute for Lankan Studies (AILS). Faculty members from four AISLS institutional member universities, Cornell University, Yale University, Princeton University, and the University of Michigan, participated in the conference. #popart #SouthAsia #conference

New to the AILS Colombo Library ! Temples to the Buddha and the Gods: Transnational Drāviḍa Tradition of Architecture in Sri Lanka by Sujatha Arundathi Meegama (University of Hawaiʻi Press, 2024). This scholarly book examines Sri Lankan religious architecture as part of a transnational Drāviḍa tradition connecting the island to South India and the Indian Ocean world. The book demonstrates how Drāviḍa architectural forms were used for temples dedicated to both the Buddha and deities, revealing shared patterns of design, patronage, and religious practice across communities and challenging narrow, localized interpretations of Sri Lanka’s architectural history. #srilanka #NewBook #Buddhism #History #architecture

On 03 December 2025, the American Institute for Lankan Studies (AILS) Colombo hosted Ms. Sharlina Hussain-Morgan (Director, Public Engagement Unit) and Ms. Dushinka Abayasekara (Public Engagement Unit) of the U.S. Embassy Colombo. The meeting focused on current projects, a review of the past year along with plans and collaborations for the upcoming year.

You can now access the updated Guide to Digital Libraries on Sri Lanka here: aisls.org/guide-to-digit… The guide brings together open-access digital collections that include texts, images, archival material, artwork, archaeological records, photography, film, and virtual museum content related to Sri Lanka. Each entry features a brief description, keywords, and links for easy navigation. The guide also includes digitization projects conducted by AISLS and AILS, and provides links to related resources, such as  bibliographical tools and the guide to locating photographs of Colonial Ceylon.  #digitallibrary #srilanka

New to the AILS Library! Sri Lanka’s Easter Sunday Massacre: Lessons for the International Community by Dr. Rohan Gunaratna (Published by Penguin Random House SEA, 2023) In this book, Rohan Gunaratna provides a detailed account of the coordinated bombings on 21 April  2019 that killed over 260 people. The book explores the radicalisation of the attackers, influenced by Salafi‑Wahhabi ideology and Islamic State networks, and highlights failures in Sri Lanka’s intelligence and political systems. Drawing on interviews with detainees, investigators, and officials, Gunaratna explains how global jihadist trends shaped the attack and calls for reforms in national and international counter‑terrorism efforts. #SriLanka #politics #Terrorism #EasterAttacks

A conference on "Pop Art and South Asia," convened by Iftikhar Dadi and T. Sanathanan, which is being held in Jaffna on 15-16 December. All are welcome to attend, but pre-registration is required. It is sponsored by the Institute for Comparative Modernities (Cornell University); the Sri Lanka Archive of Contemporary Art, Architecture and Design;  and the American Institute for Lankan Studies Colombo. Registration link: tinyurl.com/mu7mubm9 Conference website: icm.as.cornell.edu/news/pop-art-a…

New to the AILS Colombo Library! Paradise in Tears: A Journey through History and Conflict by Victor Ivan (Published by Sarasavi Publishers, 2023) Paradise in Tears: A Journey through History and Conflict by Victor Ivan is a compelling photographic chronicle of Sri Lanka’s history from the 19th century to the 1990s. Featuring 444 rare images, it explores colonial rule, the struggle for independence, and post-independence challenges–tracing the historical roots of today’s crises linked to the political system and racial tensions. This book is an essential visual record of the island’s resilience and complex past. #History #politics #Journalism #visualhistory #colonialism #Ceylon #NewBook

Three rare works from R. L. Brohier’s personal collection have been digitized and made publicly accessible for the first time. This project was made possible through a collaboration between the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya; Rev'd Perry Brohier (Administrator of the Estate of the late R L Brohier); and the American Institute for Lankan Studies (AILS). •Genealogies of Dutch-Burgher Families (1910) – A fascinating compilation of handwritten genealogical records tracing Dutch Burgher ancestry in Ceylon. •Speeches and Minutes of Sir Henry George Ward (1864) – Speeches and administrative papers from Ceylon’s 11th Governor, detailing reforms in irrigation, agriculture, and infrastructure. •The Lees of Lanka (1934) – Arthur N. Ohnimesz’s critical study of the Dutch Burgher community, exploring social reform, religion, and identity. Together, these works shed light on Ceylon’s colonial past, the Dutch Burgher community, and the social and political dynamics of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Explore them now on JSTOR:  jstor.org/stable/saoa.cr… jstor.org/stable/saoa.cr… jstor.org/stable/saoa.cr… #History #DutchBurgherUnion #monographs #Ceylon #Brohier #Genealogy

New to the AILS Library !  Sheikh Abdullah: The Caged Lion of Kashmir by Chitralekha Zutshi (Yale University Press, 2024) This book is a political biography of Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, tracing his rise as a mass leader, his pivotal role in Kashmir’s accession to India, and his later years marked by imprisonment and political compromise. Using new archival sources and oral histories, Zutshi explores the contradictions in Abdullah’s secular and regional politics, his complex ties with Indian leaders, and the enduring struggle over Kashmiri autonomy. The book offers a balanced, historically grounded account that situates Abdullah within broader South Asian and global political currents, making it a vital contribution to the study of Kashmir and postcolonial India. #india #Kashmir #history #politics #SouthAsia #biography #SheikhAbdullah