SAARC Heritage Forum 2025 – Colombo, Sri Lanka
The SAARC Cultural Centre, Colombo, with the support of the Government of Sri Lanka, will host the inaugural Annual SAARC Heritage Forum from 30 September to 2 October 2025, marking a significant milestone in institutionalizing regional cooperation on cultural heritage.
Delegates from all SAARC Member States will participate in this flagship programme of the SAARC Cultural Centre. The Honourable Prime Minister of Sri Lanka has graciously accepted the invitation to inaugurate the Forum, underscoring its regional significance.
The Forum responds to long-standing commitments made by SAARC Heads of State at the 18th Summit, in alignment with the SAARC Agenda for Culture adopted at the 14th SAARC Summit in New Delhi (2007). These directives call for:
The preservation and restitution of South Asian cultural property
The creation of a SAARC Heritage List
Creating Cultural Trails that connect major Buddhist historical sites and facilitate access to sacred sites associated with Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, and other faiths.
The SAARC region is home to some of the world’s most iconic tangible heritage: sacred Buddhist stupas, characteristic Hindu shrines, magnificent mosques, Mughal gardens, cultural landscapes, human-made reservoirs, and sacred sites representing diverse religious traditions. The Forum will collectively recognize and promote these treasures for regional and global appreciation.
As the birthplace of the Lord Buddha, South Asia holds profound spiritual significance for millions. Buddhism has spread across many SAARC member countries, leaving behind a legacy of enduring monuments and pilgrimage sites. The Forum will identify and map these sites to develop transnational cultural trails that support both tourism and spiritual journeys.
Key objectives of the inaugural Forum include:
Formalizing the structure of the Annual SAARC Heritage Forum
Launching the SAARC Heritage List
Advancing the proposal for a SAARC Year of Cultural Heritage
Developing frameworks and shared experiences, including Buddhist pilgrimage routes and other religious sites
For further information, please contact:
Programme Division
SAARC Cultural Centre, Colombo, Sri Lanka
