Eminent Sri Lankan Hindi scholar the late Prof. Indra Dassanayake was posthumously conferred the prestigious Padma Shri award by the President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind on November 8, 2021 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.  It is the fourth highest civilian of India after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan.