Sir D B Jayathilake was the first Representative of Ceylon to India. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1948, after the independence of Sri Lanka and the Representative Office was re-established as a fully fledged High Commission. One of the earliest signatories to a lease in perpetuity, the High Commission for Sri Lanka acquired its site on the north-western periph
ery of Chanakyapuri from the Government of India on the 17thof November, 1953, and is neighbour to the Embassies of Indonesia and China. The foundation stone was laid by the world's first woman prime minister, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, during her symbolic inaugural voyage, to India, as head of government, in 1960. The High Commission, completed in the mid 1960s, is a white-washed ensemble consisting of a three-storied Chancery building, an adjoining double-storied High Commissioner's Residence and multi-unit officers' accommodation, set back from Kautilya Marg in 3.917 acres of meticulously maintained lawns. While contemporary in design, the buildings incorporate several historical Sri Lankan ornamental elements from the world heritage sites in Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya and Kandy. In New Delhi, Sri Lanka has built the epitome of a diplomatic mission, uniting Chancery, Residence, and officers' accommodation in a group of buildings extolling the country's unique national identity, while highlighting its shared cultural heritage with India.
