24/10/2025
To learn about India without visiting India, visit Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre
An article by Sandun Gamage
19.10.2025, Sunday Lankadeepa - Thaksalawa, Page 2
The Indian Cultural Centre was established in Sri Lanka in 1998 and is now known as the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, Colombo. It functions under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and serves as the cultural arm of the Indian High Commission in Colombo.
Its main objective is to promote cultural exchange between India and Sri Lanka, as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two countries. Since its establishment, the Centre has focused on strengthening cultural ties and fostering mutual understanding. The current Director of the Centre is Dr. Ankuran Dutta.
“Our main objective is to spread awareness of Indian culture through all its aspects including Hindustani and Carnatic music, violin, sitar, tabla, Indian languages, yoga, and shared cultural values. This helps promote cultural relations between India and Sri Lanka,” says Dr. Ankuran Dutta.
India is not a distant culture or nation to Sri Lanka. It is our closest relative, brother and friend. India has always been the first to extend support whenever Sri Lanka is in need. The two countries share deep cultural ties in music, dance, education, and the arts.
The Centre offers classes in Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Hindi, and other art forms, with over 1,500 students benefitting from these classes. In addition to classes, it regularly organizes visual art exhibitions, workshops, seminars, lectures, and performances featuring experts from India and Sri Lanka. It also organizes annual food festivals.
The Centre also provides:
• Modern classrooms with technological facilities
• A Hindi language lab
• Space for exhibitions
• A dance studio equipped with advanced technology
• A satellite TV channel to broadcast Indian cultural content
• A modern online-accessible library with more than 4,500 CDs and DVDs — one of the largest cultural media collections among similar institutions.
This allows visitors to explore Indian culture in-depth without having to travel to India.
Many Sri Lankans today turn to yoga and meditation for physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. The Centre conducts regular yoga classes and workshops, including special programs for International Yoga Day, catering to people of all age groups.
Cultural festivals featuring both Indian and Sri Lankan artists are organized to promote harmony and friendship. Film screenings and joint performances create platforms for dialogue, understanding, and celebration of diversity.
The Centre also offers Hindi language courses for students and professionals. Through its Education and Language Development Division, it introduces learners to new education methods used in India.
For youth empowerment, the ICCR provides workshops, scholarships, and competitions, encouraging young Sri Lankans to pursue artistic, cultural, and academic paths - nurturing them as future cultural ambassadors.
A platform has also been established for the preservation and exhibition of traditional and folk art forms from both India and Sri Lanka, ensuring these heritages are passed on to future generations.
In addition, several scholarship programs offered by the ICCR are highly popular among Sri Lankans.
The Centre is named after Swami Vivekananda, one of India’s greatest spiritual leaders, who promoted universal harmony, interfaith understanding, peace, and social service. He played a significant role in introducing the philosophy of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world and maintained close ties with Sri Lanka. The Centre is named after him considering his historic visit to SL in 1897.
