A draft proposal to develop the Anuradhapura Sacred City at an initial estimated cost of Rs. 7.7 billion has been submitted to the High Commission of India, with the Indian government expected to fund the work.

The plan was prepared jointly by the Urban Development Authority and the Department of National Physical Planning, according to the President’s Media Division. Officials expect the project to begin before the end of 2026.

Wednesday’s meeting

A discussion on the draft was held on 30 September at the Presidential Secretariat, led by Chief of Presidential Staff Prabath Chandrakeerthi and the Indian High Commission’s Acting Deputy High Commissioner and First Secretary, Roshini Thomson.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had earlier met the Maha Sangha and other stakeholders about the plan and instructed officials to speed up its implementation.

What the money would pay for

The proposed works are infrastructure rather than restoration of the monuments themselves:

Both accounts stress that the programme is intended to preserve the antiquity and religious character of the site while addressing the practical demands placed on it.

Where the commitment came from

The initiative follows an undertaking by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to assist with developing the Sacred City, given during his state visit to Sri Lanka, when he visited the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi at Anuradhapura. That visit took place in April 2025; the Daily Mirror describes it only as “recent”.

Still open

Neither account says what form the Indian assistance would take — grant, concessional credit line or otherwise — or whether India has responded to the submitted proposal. Rs. 7.7 billion is described as an initial estimate, with no breakdown by component and no completion date beyond the intention to start this year.

Both reports trace to the same President’s Media Division statement, so the two outlets are carrying one official account rather than independently verifying it.

Sources