Chronicles play a pivotal role in the Sri Lankan cultural history. The Mahavamsa ("Great Chronicle" is the meticulously kept historical chronicle of Sri Lanka written in the style of an epic poem written in the Pali language. The Mahavamsa has acquired a significance as a documentation which tells a story that spans nearly 2500 years. Mahavamsa (Mahawansa) is considered the oldest and longest chronology in the world.

There was a time this Great Chronicle was denied that it was written by Buddhist monks of Mahavihara, without proper study on the inscriptions and other sources in Sri Lanka. It was also alleged that it contained only information about Buddhism and kings. However, later on, after studying the Brahmi inscriptions, it has been revealed that Mahavamsa contains information to address the issues even in Indian history. The importance of Mahawamsa was pinpointed even by the western scholars such as George Turner, James Principe, Herman Oldenburg and Wilhelm Geiger. Dr. Ananda W.P. Guruge, who translated an edited version of Mahawamsa Volume 1 into Sinhala has proved that it is the most essential source to study the local cultural components of Sri Lanka.

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		K.A.I. Sampath Coordinating Officer