The collection of Palm leap manuscript and rare books in the oriented library in the Dalada Maligava in Kandy Sri Lanka

The Kandy Oriental Library presently housed in the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is an incomparable repository of important historical manuscripts and books relating to Sri Lanka and South East Asia. The establishment of this important library was a result of the initiative of certain western scholars engaged in research on the rich monastic libraries and traditional wisdom in Sri Lanka.

The need of Oriental Library attached to the Government Record Office in Colombo by way of (a) purchasing palm-leaf manuscripts and (b) transcribing through the Government Agents was stressed in 1870. Several years after the birth of this concept of Oriental Library in Colombo, moved to Kandy and an Oriental Library was established on the same lines in Kandy on the 29th November, 1875 with voluntary contributions and donations. The selected location for the purpose was the Octagon of the Dalada Maligava, later changed the location within the same premises. The collection also received a special donation from Myanmar in 1875 and from the Prince of Wales, England in 1897. At present it comprises 2500 palm leaf manuscripts and 3000 printed rare books relating to the national history, traditional knowledge and sciences, it is proposed to be included in the MOW national Register.