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Item Indigenous Medicine for Snake Bites in Palm Leaf Manuscripts in Sri Lanka(Reviewing International Encounters 2018,The Research Center for Social Sciences (RCSS), University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Abayarathne, A.H.M.H.Palm leaf manuscript culture in Sri Lanka has a long history. According to Sri Lankan chronicles which were composed around 5th century A.C.E. writing on palm leaves started in the 1st century B.C.E, as mentioned in those chronicles, during the reign of King Vaṭṭagāṃani Abhaya (89-77 B.C.E)' Buddhist monks used palm leaves to inscribe the doctrine of the Buddha. In the later periods, in addition to religious texts, secular subjects were also written on palm leaves, like indigenous medical practices, astrology, palmistry" literature and various kinds of black magic. Indigenous medical practices included medical treatments for human beings as well as animals. Ailments such as diarrhea, vomiting, snakebites, fever, and mental disorders were commonly treated using indigenous medicines. A large number of PLMSRL covers the treatments for snake bites. As an agricultural society even today there are a considerable number of deaths by snake bites. So the situation in the past was very serious. There are various methods for cure of snake bites using indigenous medicine of various kinds. The Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka has established a Palm Leaf Manuscript Study and Research Library (PLMSRL) to preserve those manuscripts, especially to preserve manuscripts that are damaged due to various causes. Currently, there are more than 3000 (800,000 images) manuscripts preserved by this library. This research present study was carried out by using these manuscripts. The methodology used for this research is to examine those manuscripts thoroughly and the main objective is to recognize the major areas of the indigenous knowledge which prevailed for more than twenty centuries throughout the history of Sri Lanka.Item Colombo Museum Library Palm Leaf Manuscripts Collection: A Glance from Intangible Cultural Heritage and Library and Information Management Perspectives.(Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Senarathna, K.I.D.; Heshini, K.G.J.; Weerasooriya, W.R.W.M.C.S.K.; Senani, R.A.Palm leaf manuscripts are very rare and treasure library material, which contain vivid knowledge, art and culture in the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) particularly in Sri Lanka. This paper focuses the Colombo Museum library Palm Leaf Manuscripts Collection (PLMC). The principal purpose of the study is to examine the Palm leaf manuscript collection in Intangible Cultural Heritage and Library and Information Management Perspectives. The other objectives are to explore how the collection is organized, to examine how they preserve, conserve their collection and to identify the way they provide user services using this important collection. Method of the study is an explorative survey of the Palm leaf collection and the data collected through site visit, discussion followed by the observation both participatory and non-participatory. It was realized that very significant and diversified imbedded knowledge contained in the PLMC. The knowledge variations are particularly the religion and the art, craft, tradition, culture, science, medicine, agriculture, myths and mythologies. The collection is related to indigenous knowledge too. The collection is arranged separately and when analyzing in ICH perspective it can conclude that, there are entities that were found to be related ICH domain. When peruse the collection in Library and Information Science perspective, it was revealed that preservation and conservation is a prime requirement and therefore digitization has to be done with a help of an organization like National Science Foundation. Some entities are available in printed book forms too. User serves provided on request basis and they are able to use at the Museum library premises. The vision of the library “ As an illustrious nation, the preservation of the cultural and natural heritage Inherited from the past, and its presentation in a more fruitful fashion for future Generations in a manner that successfully addresses the challenges of globalization” and therefore the policy makers, planners and the top management including the Ministry concerned should realize the importance of this collection and take immediate steps for policy decisions for preservation and conservation of the collection. The time has come to stress and pay much attention to the area of ICH and how libraries could be used in managing these important collections for the use of future generations.Item Study on State of the Modern Technology used in Preservation of Palm Leaf Manuscripts in Sri Lanka(Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Senanayake, S.M.T.; Madusanka, W.M.H.; Gunasinghe, H.C.The extensive horde of palm leaf manuscripts are heir and could be considered as the prime storage of indigenous intangible knowledge which has been fostering for more than hundred decades.Though they were live source of knowledge in early years, most of palm leaf manuscripts today are not in use and subject to deterioration. The Palm Leaf Manuscripts Study and Research Library in the University of Kelaniya, which has been established with the objective of preservation of existing palm leaf manuscripts has been functioning since 2009. The prime objective of this research is to study on the state of the modern technology used by the Palm Leaf Manuscripts Study and Research Library in University of Kelaniya for the preservation of palm leaf manuscripts which contain indigenousknowledge. The study methods used were field study and observation. The preliminary method for storage and retrieval of palm leaf manuscripts available with temples and private owners in Sri Lanka by the Palm Leaf Manuscripts Study and Research Library. The digitization before that, it is compulsory to preserve them using traditional preservation methods and the digitized copies will be subject to library technology process. After the classification and catalogingprocess is over, the data will be uploaded to and maintained by the open source software named ‘D-Space’ used by the Palm Leaf Manuscripts Study and Research Library. This procedure facilitates to researchers to use the collection owned by the Palm Leaf Manuscripts Study and Research Library through internet online. The Palm Leaf Manuscripts Study and Research Library of University of Kelaniya is the only institute in Sri Lanka which provides facility of this nature for studyingon palm leaf manuscripts via online.Item Traditional Knowledge Illustrated in the Palm Leaf Manuscripts of Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka(Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Pushpakumara, K.; Dehigama, K.Palm leaves played a major role in recording, and preserving information on various aspects of Sri Lankan culture in place of books and paper until the advent of printing in the 19th century. A search through of palm leaf collections in Sri Lanka reveals that they took part significantly in carry forwarding a tradition that considerably influenced to preserve Sri Lankan indigenous traditional knowledge that has been passed orally from generation to generation. Sri Lanka is in the custody of massive repository of manuscript wealth preserved in cultural institutions. However, an overview of literature reflects, studiesare mainly confined to the preservation, historical information andto widely address the documentation aspects of the palm leaf manuscripts of Sri Lanka. This indicates that there is no research focusing on the theme that encompasses the study of paintings that depict the various aspect of traditional knowledge embedded in palm-leaf manuscripts.Theretofore, the present study is undertaken to explore the paintings in the palm leaf manuscripts in Sri Lanka. Anuradhapura district has been selected for the study. A survey has been carried out with a view to find paintings in the undocumented hither to unknown palm leaf manuscripts. Accordingly on the basis of previous pilot surveys, five Gram Sava Divisions were selected from the five different AGA Divisions of Anuradhapura District. In addition to the document analysis, focus group discussions and observations were used to collect data. While the survey produced paintings of various traditional knowledge related to Arts, the Indigenous Medicine, Magic and charms, Astrology and Agriculture, work of artappeared in palm leaf manuscripts related to ancient Sri Lankan agricultural activities are only presented in this paper. Surveying and studying hither to unknown collections at Anuradhapura District of Sri Lanka will be of momentous achievement for the benefit of research and learning. Due to the utmost value of the manuscriptsit is recommended to take over the collections from theheritors with a view to preserve palm leaf manuscripts for the future generations.