Report of the Seventh Year

20092010
National Mission
for
Manuscripts
Publishers detail:
Director
National Mission for Manuscripts
11, Mansingh Road
New Delhi 110 001
Tel.: +91 11 23383894
Fax: +91 11 23073340
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.namami.org
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1 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Report of the Seventh Year
20092010
National Mission
for Manuscripts
2 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Manuscript Resource Centre
Leh, Jammu & Kashmir
Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir
Dharmshala, H.P.
Simla. H.P.
Kurukshetra, Haryana
Hoshiarpur, Punjab
Haridwar, Utarakhand
Pauri Garhwal, Utarakhand
Rampur, U.P.
Varanasi, U.P.
Lucknow, U.P.
Vrindavan, U.P.
Agra, U.P.
New Delhi, Delhi
Patna, Bihar
Darbhanga, Bihar
Nalanda, Bihar
Arrah, Bihar
Kolkata, West Bengal
Bhubaneswar, Orissa
Bhadrak, Orissa
Guwahati, Assam
Silchar, Assam
Imphal, Manipur
Ujjain, M.P.
Sagar, M.P.
Indore, M.P.
Jodhpur, Rajasthan
Jaipur, Rajasthan
Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Pune, Maharashtra
Ramtek, Maharashtra
Tirupati, A.P.
Hyderabad, A.P.
Pondicherry, Pondicherry
Mysore, Karnataka
Shravanabelagola, Karnataka
Keladi, Karnataka
Bangaluru, Karnataka
Hampi, Karnataka
Thanjavur, T.N.
Chennai, T.N.
Kanchipuram, T.N.
Thiruanathapuram, Kerala
Thirur, Kerala

National Mission for Manuscripts

Head Ofce
Manuscript Resource Centre
Manuscript Conservation Centre

Manuscript Conservation Centre

Leh, J & K
Simla. H.P.
New Delhi, Delhi
Nainital, Utarakhand
Vrindavan, U.P.
Rampur, U.P.
Gorakhpur, U.P.
Lucknow, U.P.
Varanasi, U.P.
Hoshiarpur, Punjab
Patna, Bihar
Arrah, Bihar
Kolkata, West Bengal
Bhubaneswar, Orissa
Burla, Orissa

Guwahati, Assam
Imphal, Manipur
Tawang, Arunachal Pr.
Ujjain, M.P.
Jodhpur, Rajasthan
Jaipur, Rajsathan
Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Pune, Maharashtra
Hyderabad, A.P.
Tirupati, A.P.
Bangaluru, Karnataka
Chennai, T.N.
Tanjavur, T.N.
Trivandrum, Kerala
Ernakulam, Kerala

Note: The map here is only notational and not up to the scale.
3 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
From the Director
T
he manuscript heritage of India
is unique, not only in terms of
quantity but also in terms of
subject mater it deals with as well as
the beauty of its physical presentation.
It contains the cumulative knowledge of
Indian tradition in felds of learning as
diverse as physics and music, metallurgy
and animal husbandry, metaphysics and
agriculture, so on so forth. The National
Mission for Manuscripts was created in the
year 2003 with a view to preserving and
conserving this knowledge base as well as
disseminating the content of manuscripts
to scholars and people at large. It has come
a long way since then and has fruitfully
contributed to creating a database of
more than 30 lac manuscripts, training
conservators all over the country, creating
a resource pool of manuscriptologists and
palaeographists and providing support
to institutions for preparing descriptive
catalogues. It has also helped in creating
awareness about manuscripts through
outreach programmes like lectures and
seminars. By publishing the lectures and
proceedings of seminars, the contents have
been rendered accessible to a much larger
audience than would have been otherwise
possible.
I feel privileged and honored to be
associated with this institution which
is driven by a passion for the past and
commitment to the future. I strongly
believe that the greatness and respect that
India once enjoyed can be fully regained
but only through puting to use the long
tradition of knowledge available in Indian
manuscripts, not only here in India but
across the world.
It is a general perception that Indians
paid more sustained atention to the
spiritual side of life. It is also believed,
even though erroneously, that India did
not make much progress in the feld of
what is today known as pure sciences. This
could not be farther from the truth because
4 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
besides the spiritual side Indians placed
equal importance to the material side of
life and they developed the pure sciences
to a level of fnesse which the modern man
will need some efort to equal. Let us take
the case of metallurgy and we cannot do
without citing the example of the Gupta
period pillar standing in the courtyard of
Qutab Minar. Scientists to date have not
been able to fnd the formula of creating
that iron pillar which has not rusted even
afer centuries of standing in the open. It
needs no reiteration that Ayurveda is the
only known scientifc system in the world
that can feed mercury to human beings
with benefcial result. The formulations
of Ayurveda speak of a high degree of
advancement in the feld of chemistry and
are a proof of this legacy even to this date.
With the whole world worrying about
global warming and other ecological
problems facing the world today, it is
encouraging to know that India had
discovered solutions to some of these
problems centuries ago. One needs only to
delve into the contents of our manuscript
heritage to fnd out how Indians had
devised a system to live in harmony with
nature without damaging ecological
balance. Sufce it to say that these are just
a thumbnail picture of areas that could
beneft from traditional Indian knowledge
systems.
I joined the National Mission for
Manuscripts as Director in January this
year. For reasons well known, NMM had
been in a state of hibernation during the
period 200709. It is a challenging task to
revive an institution which has, afer a kick-
start, lost its initiative. The very challenge
inspired me to turn around NMM into
an active and vibrant institution. It gives
me immense pleasure to mention that
the labour we collectively put in reviving
NMM has started bearing fruits. The report
for the year 200910 is in the hands of the
readers. I am sure it would not appear to be
a very disappointing report even though it
contains the result of work done in almost
only three months.
This is not to claim that no work was done
between April, 2007 to December, 2009 but
only to reiterate that as is evident from the
data of work done and results achieved,
most of the work was completed between
January to March, 2010. I owe my colleagues
a sense of gratitude and I thank them all
for their unstinted support in my eforts. I
look forward to a very bright future of India
achieved through tapping a source which is
totally and purely indigenous.


Prof. Dipti S. Tripathi
Director, National Mission for Manuscripts
5 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Annual Report of the National Mission
for Manuscripts, 20092010
T
he National Mission for Manuscripts
(NMM) is the frst consolidated national
efort for reclaiming Indias inheritance
of knowledge contained in the vast treasure
of manuscripts. Manuscripts, which contain
centuries of accrued knowledge in such areas
as philosophy, sciences, literature, arts and
the pluralistic faith systems of India are more
than just historical records. They represent the
collective wisdom and experience of generations
of thinkers. The Mission was established in 2003
by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture. The
major objectives of the Mission are to document,
conserve, digitize and disseminate the manuscript
resources of the country.
The Mission functions through diferent types
of centres established throughout the country.
The numbers of centres (category-wise) are as
follows:
Manuscript Resource Centres (MRCs) 46
Manuscript Conservation Centres (MCCs) 33
Manuscript Partner Centres (MPCs) 42
Manuscript Conservation Partner Centres
(MCPCs) 300
Programmes and Activities
I. Documentation
Enriching National Electronic Database of
Manuscripts
National Survey of Manuscripts and Post
Survey Programme
Expansion and Strengthening of Manuscript
Resource Centres (MRCs)
Supporting Manuscript Partner Centres (MPCs)
II. Manuscript Conservation and Training
Expansion of MCC Network
Increase in Manuscript Conservation Partner
Centres (MCPCs)
Creation of a National Resource Team of
Conservators
Promotion of research programmes
Preventive conservation training
Workshops on Conservation of Rare Support
Materials
Establishment of Field Laboratories
Organising MCPC Workshops
Conservation of manuscript collections in MRCs

Objectives of the Mission

Survey, document and catalogue Indian
manuscripts, in India and abroad, and
compile a National Database
Facilitate conservation and preservation of
manuscripts through training, awareness
building and fnancial support
Provide ready access to these manuscripts
through digitization and publication
Promote scholarship and research in
the study of Indian languages and
Manuscriptology
Set up a National Manuscripts Library

6 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010

Collaboration with Survey and Post Survey
Collaboration with Digitization
III. Training on Manuscriptology and
Paleography
Conducting training courses on
Manuscriptology and Paleography
Creating trained manpower
Introducing manuscriptlogy courses in Indian
Universities
IV. Documentation through Digitization
Preservation of the original manuscripts for
posterity
Promotion of access and usage for scholars
and researchers, without tampering with
original copies
Creation of a digital library as a resource
base through digitized copies of some of the
signifcant manuscript collections of the country

Creation of standards and procedures for

Digitization of manuscripts
V. Research and Publication
Tatvabodha: Publication of Collection of
Lectures
Sameekshika: Publication of Collection of
Seminar Papers
Samrakshika: Publication of Collection of
Seminar Papers on Conservation
Kritibodha: Publication of Critical Edition
Series
VI. Outreach Programmes
Tatvabodha: Public Lectures
Seminars
Kriti Rakshana: Bi-monthly journal of the
National Mission for Manuscripts
VII. Establishment of National Manuscripts
Library

Performance Summary
20092010
(In brief)
Post Survey exercises launched in Andhra Pradesh Rajasthan,
Gujarat and Tripura.
Information received about 2,14,000 manuscripts and 66,281 data
launched on the web. The total data available on the NMM website,
www.namami.org has reached about 18.16 lakh.
13 workshops on conservation of manuscripts organised in which
conservation treatment has been given to manuscripts as a part of
practical Training.
Digitization of 5,6661 Manuscripts (74,25,661 pages) has been
completed. There are 45,324 DVDs containing the digital images of
the Manuscripts are in the possession of the NMM.
In total, 19 (7 in Delhi and 12 outside Delhi) public lectures were
organised under Tatvabodha Series.
Three seminars on diferent topics and 9 workshops on
manuscriptology and palaeography were organised.
Two volumes, SamrakshikaII and TatvabodhaIII, have been
published during 20092010.

j j
j j
National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010 7
8 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
National Survey for
Manuscripts
The National Survey for Manuscripts is held in
diferent States of India to locate manuscripts in
every corner of the country. In the Survey,
50 trained Surveyors in each district look for,
locate and document manuscripts in their
localities on the standard Questionnaire Forms
and Manus Data Sheets over 5 alloted days.
Objectives
Location of as many manuscripts as possible
with a special emphasis on undocumented,
private collections
Reaching out to the grass root level, by
linking together the search for manuscripts

at the village, district, state and fnally the

national level
Generation of interest and awareness of
manuscripts among the people in the districts,
towns and villages
Coordinating with the State and the District
administration in the respective States for
involving the infrastructure for reaching out
to and working with the common man at each
level in the State
Promotion of basic conservation information
and hands on training
To involve local people and students of
literature, linguistics, history or any other
related feld in fnding and documenting their
local manuscript wealth
To create a manuscript map of every district,
every State and eventually the whole country

Survey & Post Survey

9 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Strategy
The Mission approaches the Culture
Department or the Archives and Museums
Department of the State, and decides on a
State Coordinator to coordinate the Survey in
the State under review
Two District Coordinators are appointed for
each districtpreferably one academician
and one representing the local government
A maximum of 50 Surveyors are selected to
locate manuscripts in each district
Pre-Survey mapping of the district by the
District Coordinators
Outreach campaigns with advertisements
in the newspapers, public meetings
and networking with panchayats, local
government and eminent personalities
Training of the District Coordinators and
Surveyors in flling the Questionnaire and
Manus Data sheet in at least 2 separate
training sessions
The seting of targets for the Surveyors by
the District Coordinators on the basis of pre-
Survey mapping
The 5 actual days of Survey when
50 Surveyors fan out over each district to
locate the manuscripts and repositories
Post Survey for Manuscripts
Post Survey is a special drive that follows
National Survey to accelerate the documentation
work in the states. National Survey is the means
to identify repositories in a state, and Post Survey
is conducted to document individual manuscripts
therein. During this period, trained scholars
revisit the identifed repositories for documenting
manuscripts, and also to trace new repositories
those remained unidentifed during the National
survey.
During the Post Survey programme, the
trained documenters revisit every manuscript
repository located during the National Survey

and ensure proper documentation of each

manuscript for the National Electronic Database.
The Post Survey uses the information gathered
during the Survey and partners with people and
institutions in the districts (ofen themselves
located during the Survey) to complete the
documentation and consolidate the gains of the
National Survey in the districts.
Objectives
To follow up on the National Survey for
Manuscripts by visiting each repository
uncovered
To document each manuscript in each
repository in every district, State and
eventually the country
To collect information about rare and
unpublished manuscripts and to supply
information to the concerned MCCs about
their state of preservation
Methodology
Analysis of the information gathered through
the National Survey with regard to:
Number of districts in the State
Number of repositories in each district
Total number of manuscripts in each
repository and district
Defning resources required for documenting
manuscripts in terms of:
Number of Documenters/Surveyors per
district
Amount of time required to fnish the
work in each district and State
Identifcation of potential Manuscript
Partner Centres (MPCs) in each district to
coordinate the work.
Selection of MRCs/Partner Institutions/MPCs
at the Statelevel to coordinate the work in
the State
Identifcation of qualifed Documenters
and District Coordinators (according to
requirement) by the Statelevel coordinating
institution

10 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010

Organising an intensive training workshop
for the Documenters for which the Mission
provides the trainers. The aim is to:
Train the Documenters in flling the
Manus Data Sheets and Questionnaires
Familiarize the Documenters with potential
problems they may face in the feld
Providing the Documenters with list of
repositories
The actual data collection by the Documenters
who submit the Manus Data sheets to
their District Coordinator or Statelevel
coordinating institution
The data is then computerized using the
Manus Granthavali sofware at either the
Statelevel coordinating institution or at the
Mission Ofce in Delhi and integrated into
the Database afer editing
So far Post Survey has been accomplished in
Bihar (10 districts) Orissa, Tamil Nadu and
Karnatak. The Post Survey documentation work
presently continues in Kerala, Utar Pradesh
and Himachal Pradesh. About one lakh data
have been received from Utar Pradesh, Bihar,
Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh.
During the National Survey the Mission
has identifed around 20 lakh of manuscripts in
Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Tripura
which are under process for documentation
through Post Survey Programme.
Andhra Pradesh: In Andhra Pradesh the
Post Survey program was launched on 15
th

October 2009 by the Hon able Minister for
I & PR, Cinematography, FDC & Tourism,
Archaeology, Museums, Archives & Culture.

A. P. Govt. Oriental Manuscripts Library and

Research Institute has been entrusted with the
responsibility to conduct documentation work
throughout the State. During this program 1.5
lakh of manuscripts will be documented.
Rajasthan: Rajasthan State Archives as
State Coordinating Agency has taken up the
responsibility of Post Survey in the State of
Rajasthan. Around 7.5 lakh manuscripts will
be documented in 20 surveyed districts of the
state. High level meeting with the Principal
Secretary, Govt. of Rajasthan has been concluded
for the implementation of the program. Shortly
documentation work will be carried out in
20 districts of the state.
Gujarat: L. D. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad
has been selected as the State Coordinating
Agency for the State of Gujarat. Post Survey will
be carried out in 14 districts of the State and
around 5 lakh manuscripts will be documented
during the program. Training program of District
Coordinators has been conducted at the State
Coordinating premises on 21
st
January 2010.
Documenters training program was conducted in
the month of Feb-March, 2010.
Tripura: Tripura University has been entrusted
responsibility of Post Survey documentation
work in the State. Eforts are on to involve the
Government of Tripura in a meaningful way
through the Chief Secretary of the state.
In 20102011 the mission has planned to take up
Post Survey program in the remaining districts of
Gujarat (12 districts) Rajasthan (13 districts) and
Assam (27 districts).
11 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Documentation
W
ith an estimate of fve million
manuscripts, India is perhaps one
of the biggest manuscript reserves
in the world. However, most of this wealth has
not been documented in a manner to provide a
common portal for reference to aid scholars and
researchers. In many instances, there has been
no knowledge of or access to these manuscripts,
creating a gap between the knowledge cultures of
the past and present.
NMM is engaged in detailed documentation
of manuscripts in India, by creating a National
Catalogue of Manuscripts. The catalogue
containing information about 18.16 lakh
manuscript is already available in NMM
website, www.namami.org. This electronic
catalogue provides information of manuscripts
from institutions, religious, cultural and
educational, as well as private collections across
the country.
Objectives
Location of the unknown manuscript reserves
in the country, both in institutional and
private repositories
Documentation of the entire estimated fve
million manuscripts of the country
Reaching out to the grass root level for
gathering information on manuscripts, as well
as spreading awareness
Creation of the Electronic Catalogue of
manuscripts to be made available on the
internet
Methodology
Conducting National Survey in each state
and union territory, for locating manuscripts
in both known and unknown, private
and public, catalogued and uncataloged
collections, through the standard
Questionnaire Forms

Documentation in 20092010
Total Number of Data Received (including hard data) 2,14,000
Total Data Entered 38,000
Total Data Edited 1,85,000
Total Data Web Launched 66,281
Total Data Ready for Web Launching 28,930
Note: data stands for information about one manuscript.
12 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Coodinating with the State and District
administration, as well as local self governing
bodies and general populace at large
Conducting extensive Post Survey exercises
to document each manuscript in Manus Data
Sheets
Gathering data from the Manuscript Resource
Centres (MRCs)
Assorting, checking, Organising and entering
the data on the Database
Promoting the documentation of collections
of Indian manuscripts outside India through
set Questionnaire and Manus Data Froms
National Electronic Database
of Manuscripts
The National Electronic Database of manuscripts
is the frst of its kind online catalogue of Indian
manuscripts, emerging out of various earlier
atempts at such documentation by diferent
institutions. With information on every
manuscript that has been documented through

the Missions Datasheets, the Catalogue covers

various aspects of manuscripts, from title,
commentary, language, script, subject, place of
availability, number of pages, illustrations, date
of writing etc. As a consolidated portal, it can
be searched through the categories of author,
subject etc.
Apart from sensitizing people about the
rich intellectual heritage of India, the Database
will provide vital policy impetus for future
initiatives to be taken to conserve, preserve,
digitize, improve access and save manuscripts for
posterity.
Formats
Afer collection of information, it is entered
into the Manus Granthavali sofware at the
Manuscript Resource Centres (MRCs) or
Manuscript Partner Centres (MPCs) and fnally
comes to the Mission for checking by qualifed
scholars in various felds of knowledge.
13 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Questionnaire: Questionnaire form documents each manuscript repository with details such as
the number of manuscripts available, material, conservation status and theme (if the collection has
been built on a single theme).
14 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
15 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Manus Data Sheet: Manus Data Sheet documents each manuscript with detailed information such
as title, author, commentary, language, script, name of repository, name of scribe (if available), date
of manuscript, number of folios and pages, and other such relevant details.
16 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Descriptive Catalogue: The Descriptive Catalogue is the expansion of Manus Data alongwith
beginning line, ending line, colophon, contents and publication information, etc.
17 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
S.
No.
Name of the MRC No. of Data
Received
1. Andhra Pradesh Government Oriental Manuscript Library, Hyderabad 12,556
2. Department of Tamil Literature, University of Madras Nil
3. French Institute of Pondicherry, Pondicherry 2,553
4. Department of Manuscript Studies, Kannada University, Hampi Nil
5. Keladi Museum, Shimoga 200
6. Mahabharata Samshodhana Pratishthanam, Bangalore Nil
7. National Institute of Prakrit Studies and research, Shravanabelagola 2,000
8. Oriental Research Institute, Mysore 1,045
9. Oriental Reseach Institute and Manuscript Library, Thiruvananthapuram 11,466
10. Shri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya, Kanchipuram -
11. Thunchan Memorial Trust, Tirur 4,440
12. Oriental Research Institute, Tirupati Nil
13. Thanjavur Maharaja Serfojis Saraswati Mahal Library, Thanjavur Nil
14. Akhil Bharatiya Sanskrit Parishad, Lucknow Nil
15. Central Institute of Buddhist Studies, Leh 1.066
16. Directorate of State Archaeology, Archives & Museum, Srinagar 3.247
17. Himachal Academy of Arts, Culture and Languages, Shimla 13,159
18. Kurukshetra University, Haryana Nil
19. Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamshala 270
20. Rampur Raza Library, U.P. Nil
21. Visweshvarananda Biswabandhu Institute of Sanskrit and Indological Studies,
Hoshiarpur
455
22. Utaranchal Sanskrit Academy, Haridwar 6,331
23. Bhai Vir Singh Library, New Delhi Nil
24. K. M. Institute of Hindi & Linguistics, Agra Nil
25. Dept. of Sanskrit, Garhwal University, Pouri 741
26. Sampurnanand Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, Varanasi 7050
27. Kameswar Singh Sanskrit Darbhanga Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, Bihar Nil
28. Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library, Patna 3,112
29. Navanlanda Mahavihara, Bihar Nil
30. K.K. Handique Library, Gauhati University, Assam 337
31. Manipur state Archives, Imphal 1,148
32. Orissa State Museum, Bhubaneswar Nil
33. SARASWATI, Bhadrak, Orissa Nil
34. Shri D. K. Jain Oriental Research Institute, Arrah, Bihar Nil
Data Received from MRCs in 20092010
18 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
S.
No.
Name of the MRC No. of Data
Received
35. Calcuta University Manuscript Library, Kolkata 11,086
36. Gurucharan College, Silchar Nil
37. Anandashram, Pune 2,446
38. Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune 9,192
39. Institute of Oriental Studies, Thane Nil
40. Kavikulaguru Kalidasa Sanskrit University, Ramtek Nil
41. Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad Nil
42. Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute, Jodhpur 1,460
43. Satshrut Prabhavana Trust 10,300
44. H. S. Gaur University, Sagar Nil
45. Kund-Kund Jnanpith, Indore 8,582
46. Scindia Oriental Research Institute, Vikram University, Ujjain Nil
19 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Conservation
C
onservation of cultural property through
the promotion of awareness and
expertise is a concern shared by all in the
cultural heritage sector.
India has both tangible and intangible
heritage. The important elements of our
tangible heritage are manuscripts, paintings
and books which not only refect our life
styles, religion, traditions, culture, civilization,
technology, science and historical reference, but
also strengthen our foundation gifed by our
forefathers.
Through its network of Manuscript
Conservation Centres and Manuscript
Conservation Partner Centres, the Mission has
been Organising awareness workshops and
training programmes across the country to
create a national base of conservation expertise
for manuscripts.
These workshops have been organised to
impart training to the participants, of MRC,
MCPC, MCC and other institutions on preventive
and curative conservation of manuscripts.
Conservation of Manuscripts
Any direct or indirect action on a damaged
or undamaged manuscript or collection
of manuscripts, for increasing their life is
conservation. This can be Preventive or Curative.
20 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Preventive Conservation: Preventive conservation
seeks to reduce the future risk of deterioration.
It includes measures such as controlling the
temperature and humidity of the storage area
of manuscripts and regular inspection of the
condition of manuscript collection.
Curative Conservation: Curative conservation is
any direct action on the manuscripts to prevent
active deterioration. For instance, fumigation of
manuscripts infested with insects.
Reserve Pool of Conservators
Taking into consideration the extent and scope
of conservation activities taken up for protection
of manuscripts, the Mission has also launched
preventive conservation training programme for
creating a reserve pool of conservators. In this
workshop MRCs and MCCs have been facilitated
in preventive conservation of the Collections of the
Institutions and repositories in their periphery. In
the workshop various requests from repositories
are also taken into consideration by Mission in
which the services of the MRC will be utilized
for implementing preventive conservation and
reorganization to their collection.
MCPC Workshops
In order to facilitate and provide assistance to
institutions with large holdings of manuscripts,
which do not have need or facility to develop as
MCC, the Mission has developed a programme
to nominate such institutions as Manuscripts
Conservation Partner Centre (MCPCs).
Under this programme each MCC nominates
some institutions as MCPCs. The MCPCs given
advice on maintenance and upkeep of their
collection. At present there are nearly institutions
as its partner centres in this regard.
Conservaters in action in Manipur.
21 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
To further this programme, the Mission
has decided to organise three day workshop
for the staf of MCPCs. The main objective of
these workshops is to give basic preventive
conservation training to the manuscript
repository holders for the regular upkeep
and maintenance of their collection. During
the course of workshop, as a part of the
practical session, one repository is selected for
reorganisation of their collection.
Awareness Workshop for MRC,
MCPC and Repositories
The conservation section of the Mission with an
intention to train the staf of MRC, MCPC, and
other Repositories has organised 5 workshops in
diferent zones. Five workshops were conducted
for diferent regions to aid the MCCs in the
preventive conservation of the collections in
institutions and private repositories in their
regions. This training programme is given to
participants, with a basic knowledge about the
preventive conservation of manuscripts.
Workshop on Conservation of Rare
Support Materials
As India is a big country with geographical and
climatic variations, the efect of macro-climate
on diferent materials also difers from region to
region. According to the availability of materials
Sl.
No.
Name of the workshop Work planned for
20092010
Work done in
20092010
1. 2 Preventive Conservation
Awareness workshops for the
MRCs & MCPCs in diferent
regions
Zone Venue Date
East Zone 1 Patna 9
th
to 10 August, 2009
North Zone 2 IGNCA, Delhi 25
th
to 27
th
August, 2009
Shimla 8
th
to 10
th
December, 2009
South Zone 1 Trupati 23
rd
to 25
th
February, 2010
West Zone 1 Pune 8
th
to 10
th
March, 2010
2. Follow up of previous years
MCPC workshop.
Jaipur 13
th
July to 15
th
July, 2009
3. North East Workshop Manipur 16
th
to 20
th
February, 2010
4. Workshop on Curative
Conservation of Illustrated
Manuscripts
National Museum, (New Delhi) 15
th
to 19
th
March, 2010
5. Follow up of previous years
MCCs, workshop.
(Curative conservation
workshops for the selected
and interested ones who have
already undergone Missions
basic level training)
Workshop
NRLC, Lucknow
22
nd
March to 5
th
April, 2010
6. Workshop on rare Support
Materials (Palm leaf and
Stone)
On stone and terracota inscriptions at
Shimla, MCC
25
th
to 27
th
March, 2010
On palm leaf at INTACH,
Bhubaneswar
26
th
to 28
th
March, 2010
7. Workshop to Create a Pool
of Resource Persons for the
Conservation of Manuscripts
Thunchan Memorial Trust, MRC,
Tirur, Kerala
26
th
to 28
th
March, 2010
North East: Five-day workshop cum exhibition on Problems in Conservation of Manuscripts Available in Manipur.
22 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
in their surroundings our ancestors had made
use of these materials in their day to day life
and manuscripts are of no exception to those. As
there are various types of manuscript support
materials available in India, the nature and
type of problems are also specifc and diverse.
To supplement the conservation objectives of
the Mission, three seminars-cum-workshops
were planned in diferent parts of the country
according to its dispersion of which, the frst
workshop-cum-seminar on Kadatas was held at
Karnataka State Archives, Bangalore. Kadatas a
rare support material for the writing of records
are unique and specifc to the region of Karnataka
only. The composition of kadatas is not very
known till now but these are on the textile base
with some coating on both sides with dark blue
colour. The records are writen with calcium
carbonate. The second one took place in INTACH,
ICI Bhubaneswar. On Palm leaf preservation
and the third workshop on Stone and terracota
inscription took place at Shimla,
The outcome of these workshops will be of
great signifcance for the Mission and manuscript
heritage of the country. These workshops give
equal emphasis on material and technology,
its preparation as well as conservation. It has
been decided that these seminar papers will
be compiled together published by Mission so
that it may facilitate and our centres as well as
the repository owners. These workshops are
basically meant for the repository owners or
in-service men who have such rare support
material manuscripts in their procession.
Conservators/curators from various repositories
and MCCs, research scholars, and also owners
of private collections with manuscripts of the
specifc material discussed in the workshop,
have come together in these workshops to
discuss and draw practical conclusions from
theoretical and practical training. Lectures were
delivered by eminent scholars, scientists and
conservators from all over India who specialize in
the respective support material. The workshops
involved material technology, the making
and conservation of various types of support
materials such as, Kadatas, Stone, Terracota, and
palm leaf manuscripts.
Curative Conservation of
Illustrated Manuscripts
The Annual Action Plan of NMM for the year
20092010 bought to organise a workshop on the
Curative Conservation of Illustrated Manuscripts.
The workshop was organised at National
Mission, New Delhi.
Afer conservation.
Before conservation.
23 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
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25 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
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26 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
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27 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Digitization
D
igitization of manuscripts as means of
protecting and documenting textual
heritage has emerged as an important
feld in recent times. With the advancement of
information technology, digitization promises
documentation and preservation of original
texts, facilitating at the same time, greater
access for scholars and researchers. In 2004,
the Mission had initiated a Pilot Project of
Digitization, aiming at digitizing several caches
of manuscripts across the country. In 2006, the
Pilot Project completed, with the Mission seting
standards and guidelines for digitization. New
projects have been taken up, targeting some of
the most important manuscript collections of the
country. With the fresh digitization projects, the
Mission seeks to create a digital resource base
for manuscripts.
In the second phase of digitization, the
Mission selected important collections from a
wider range of institutions.
Objectives
Preservation of the original manuscripts for
posterity
Promotion of access and usage for scholars
and researchers, without tampering with
original copies
Creation of a digital library as a resource
base of the digitized copies of signifcant
manuscript collections of the country
Creation of standards and procedures for
digitization of manuscripts

Digitization Assessment
Digitization assessment considers:
Curatorial and conservation concerns
related to:
The robustness of the source material
(does it need special treatment when
digitizing, or alternatively can it sufers
such things as disbinding)
The security implications of out-sourcing
the digitization
The other physical and content atributes of
the source document
Costs of completing the project, with relation
to in-house resources and out-sourcing
(if allowed)
The aim of the digitization assessment is to:
Decide, or confrm decisions, as to whether
the document can be digitized from source
Make a rough assessment of the scanning
technique that should be employed and the
resolutions, bit depths, etc., that are needed
Decide bearing in mind security risks, costs,
and in-house resources that the work can be
completed according to the set patern and
within the time frame
Benchmarking
Benchmarking can be defned as the process
undertaken at the beginning of a digitization
project that atempts to set the levels used in the
1.

2.
3.

28 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010

capture process to ensure that the most signifcant
information is captured, e.g. seting the resolution
or bit depth correctly, full knowledge of the
main atributes of the source document. Mission
has set some Standard requirements to start a
Digitization program. They have been compiled
in book form as Guidelines for Digitization of
Manuscripts, available in print or as a pdf on
Missions website htp://www.namami.org. The
book covers the following areas:
Scanner: Non-touch devices are to be used for
scanning purposes as a touch device might
harm the original state of document. For this
reason a Face Up Scanner rather than a Flat
Bed Scanner is to be employed.
Image Quality: Image Quality at capture
can be defned as the cumulative result of
the scanning resolution, the bit depth of the
scanned image, the enhancement processes
and the compression applied, the scanning
device or technique used, and the skill of the
scanning operator.
1.
2.
Resolution: It is determined by the
number of pixels used to present the
image, expressed in dots per inch (dpi)
or pixels per square inch (ppi). Increasing
the number of pixels used to capture the
image will result in a higher resolution
and a greater ability to delineate fne
details, but just continuing to increase
resolution will not result in beter quality.
The scanning of images hence will take
place at 300 dpi.
Bit Depth: It is a measurement of the
number of bits used to defne each pixel.
The greater the bit depth used, the greater
the number of grey and colour tones that
can be expressed. The Mission follows two
kinds of scanning:
Bi-tonal scanning to represent black
and white.
Colour scanning use multiple bits per
pixel to represent colour, 24 bits per
pixel is called true colour level.

29 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010

Image Enhancement Process: This would
be used to modify or improve image
capture by changing size, colour, and
brightness, or to compare and analyze
images for characteristics that human eye
cannot perceive.
Compression: It is normally used to
reduce fle size for processing, storage
and transmission of digital images. The
Mission follows loss less compression
technique where the decompressed image
will be identical to its earlier state because
no information is thrown away when the
fle size is reduced. The Mission follows
JPEG/JPEG 2000 international standards
for compression.
Image Formats for Scanned Images
Master Image (TIFF format)
Clean Image (TIFF format)
Access Image (JPEG format)
Thumbnail Image (JPEG format)

3.

Naming Convention
The naming of images is an important issue that
is handled by the Mission in the most enabling
manner. Each manuscript digitized is already
documented on the Missions Electronic Database
and the Meta Data (the main felds describing the
manuscript) information for each manuscript
scanned is identifed by its Manuscript Identi-
fcation Number (Manus ID) which is generated
by the Missions Manus Granthavali sofware. So
the Manus ID and the Accession Number, from
the Institute/Repository catalogue where the
manuscript is kept and where the digitization
is taking place, forms the basis of naming the
digitized images of each manuscript page.
Quality Assurance
It is imperative that all digitization passes
through a series of quality control analyses at
30 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
various stages. This is an accepted method of
verifying that all reproduction is up to standard.
Bearing in mind limits on time and fnances,
some form of sampling may be necessary to
reduce the costs of this process, as with the
NARA a minimum 10 images or 10% of images
(whichever number is higher) need to undergo
quality control (these should be selected
randomly from the entire collection). Ideally
Quality Assurance (or QA) must be performed on
all master images and their derivatives with each
step being fully documented. The types of things
one should look for are:
Size of image
Resolution of image
File format
Image mode (i.e. colour images are in colour,
not greyscale)
Bit depth
Details in highlights and shadows
Tonal values
Brightness
Contrast
Sharpness
Interference
Orientation
Noise
Cropped and border areas, missing text, page
numbers, etc.
Missing lines or pixels
Poor quality interpolation with access and
thumbnails
Text legibility
The overall return should be checked for fle
name integrity, completeness of job, and overall
meeting of project scope. NARA recommend
that if more than 1% of images found to fail the
above quality control checks then the job needs
to be redone. Quality control parameters are
well defned in the Mission. It has conducted
meeting on seting up of Quality Control
Standards, the process initiated by Khuda Bakhsh
Oriental Public Library, Patna, Bihar. Experts on

Digitization and Imaging Technology have come

to a conclusion that random checking by Imaging
Experts is the best and cheapest solution to keep
a check on deliverables by the Digitizing Agency.
Mission has adopted the observation and will
send Imaging Experts to Digitization Sites for
Quality Checking before fnal delivery.
The NMM has accepted the advantages
digitization presents for facilitating access, and
the disadvantages digitization has in acting as a
substitute for standard preservation methods. It
is clear from previous projects that it is most cost-
efective to digitize at a master level quality to allow
for multiple outputs (e.g. print, access images,
thumbnails, etc.) that can be used as alternatives for
the original document in the long run.
Digital technology opens up a totally new
perspective. Digitization means acquiring,
converting, storing and providing information in
a computer format that is standardized, organised
and available on demand from common system.
Manuscripts are converted into compressed digital
formats with specialized scanners and stored
systematically for future reference.
Digitization of manuscripts as means of
protecting and documenting textual heritage
has emerged as an important feld in recent
times. Digitization promises documentation
and preservation of original texts, facilitating
at the same time, greater access for scholars
and researchers. The objectives of digitization
initiatives launched under the NMM are:
Preservation of the original manuscripts for
posterity
Promotion of access and usage for scholars
and researchers, without tampering with
original copies
Creation of a digital library as a resource
base of the digitized copies of some of the
signifcant manuscript collections of the
country

31 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010

Status of Digitization Initiated under Phase-I
Agency Institution No. Mss. No. of Pages Status
IGNCA ORI, Srinagar 10,591 21,00,000 Complete
NIC OSM, BBSR 1,749 3,50,000 Complete
INTACH* Jain Manuscripts 180 42,951 Complete
CIDIT* Kutiyatam 340 38,260 Complete
MSP** Siddha Manuscripts 1,938 78,435 Continuing
TOTAL 14,798 26,09,646
Status of Digitization Initiated under Phase-II
Agency Institution No. Mss. No. of Pages Status
CBSL OSM, BBSR 3,802 4,60,000 Complete
CBSL KKHL, Guwahati 2,091 1,56,150 Complete
Sigma Tech Harisingh Gaur
University, Sagar
1,010 1,17,603 Complete
Sigma Tech Anandashram
Sanstha, Pune
7,939 4,40,290 Complete
Sigma Tech Bharat Itihas
Samshodhan
Mandal, Pune
1,523 1,60,730 Complete
Adea Infotec Himachal Academy,
Simla
225 55,751 Complete
Adea Infotec Vrindavan Research
Institute
15,668 11,44,503 Complete
ACI Infocom Institute of Asian
Studies, Chennai
481 34,505 Complete
ACI Infocom French Institute 502 1,70,629 Complete
ACI Infocom Kundakunda,
Indore
8,622 11,60,433 Complete
TOTAL 41,863 48,16,015
The third phase of digitization will be started soon to digitise more such Manuscripts available throughout the country.
Creation of standards and procedures for
digitization of manuscripts
Till 31
st
March, 2010 the digitization of
5,6661 Manuscripts (74,25,661 pages)
has been completed. There are
45,324 DVDs containing the digital images of
the Manuscripts in the possession of the NMM.
The detailed status of digitization of
Manuscripts stands as follows:
32 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
33 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Public Outreach
W
ith a view to spreading awareness
about manuscripts, the importance
of preserving them and facilitating
documentation, the NMM has initiated a number
of programmes including seminars, lectures
advertisements, publication of newsleter and
reports, etc. The objectives of the outreach
programmes are:
Creation of a platform for discussion,
debate and critical engagement with
manuscripts,
Promotion of awareness and understanding
of the manuscript heritage of India,
Generation of interest, awareness and
knowledge of the manuscripts among
the general populace.

Tatvabodha Lecture
Lectures Organised in Delhi
Sl. No. Date and Venue Speaker and Topic
1. 24.04.09, Friday
Lecture Room, IGNCA
Prof. B.B. Chaubey
on Vedic Commentarial Texts: Importance and Available Manuscripts
2. 29.05.09, Friday
Lecture Room, IGNCA
Prof. Prakash Pandey
on Origin, Development and Importance of the Sharada Script:
an overview
3. 26.06.09, Friday
Lecture Room, IGNCA
Prof. Rajendra Mishra
on Universality of Ramkatha
4. 31.07.09, Friday
Lecture Room, IGNCA
Dr. A. Sampat Narayanan
on Tradition of Vishishtadvaita
5. 17.08.09, Friday
Lecture Room, IGNCA
Prof. Dr. Harry Falk
On Institution and Institutors of the Eras of Aezes (Vikram?), Shaka
and Yavana, for Reckoning of Time in India: Some new facts
6. 04.01.10, Monday
Lecture Room IGNCA
Dr. A. K. Bag
On Mathematics and Astronomy in the Vedic Tradition
7. 16.03.10, Tuesday
Conference Hall -1, India
International Centre
Prof. Michio Yano
On Indian Astronomy and Astrology in Japan
Lectures Organised Outside Delhi
1. 01.06.09, Monday
Department of Language and Culture,
Govt. of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla
Mr. Sushil Kumar
on Utility of Manuscripts for Sustainable Development in Himachal
Pradesh
2. 28.08.09, Friday
Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya
Sanskrit Vidyapeeth New Delhi
Prof. R. Basu
on HkkjrkeZ.;lkfgR;fofue;s dspu xqIrdo;% rskka r;pA
34 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
In total, 19 (7 at IGNCA/Delhi and 12 outside IGNCA) lectures were organised in 20092010.
Sl. No. Date and Venue Speaker and Topic
3. 08.10.09, Thursday
Akhil Bharatiya Sanskrit Parishad,
Lucknow
Prof. O. P. Agrawal
on New Life to Decaying Manuscripts: Some Hints
4. 08.12.09, Tuesday
Vadakke Madham Brahmaswam
Vedic Research Centre, Thrissur
(Kerala)
Prof. N. Veezhinathan
On Doctrines of Philosophy in the Vedas
5. 15.12.09, Tuesday
Utaranchal Sanskrit Academy,
Haridwar
Prof. K. D. Tripathi
On Importance of Sanskrit Drama in Modern Context
6. 26.02.10, Friday
Tagore Hall
University of Delhi
Dr. Harekrishna Acharya
On Manuscript Tradition of Tripura
7. 03.03.10, Wednesday
Shri Somnath University, Veraval
(Gujarat)
Dr. Rajendra Nanavati
On A Rare Illastrated Manuscript of Saundaryalahari of Adi
Sankaracharya
8. 04.03.10, Thursday
Dwarkadhish Sanskrit Academy
and Indological Research Institute,
Dwarka
Dr. Gautam Patel
On A Birch-bark Manuscript of Bhagavadgita with More Than 700
Verses
9. L. D. Instutute of Indology,
Ahmedabad
Dr. Jitubhai Shah
On Literary Treasure of Jain Bhandaras
10. Sanskrit Seva Samiti, Vadodara,
Gujarat
Dr. Ratan Parimoo
On An Early Illustrated Gitagovinda Manuscript from Gujarat
11. 15.03.10, Monday
Centre for Vedic Studies
Rabindra Bharati University,
Kolkata
Prof. Samiran Chandra Chakraborty
On Tatvabodha in Vedas and Upanishads
12. 27.03.10, Saturday
Chinmaya International Foundation
Shodha Sansthan, Vellyanad, Kerala
Prof. N. P. Unni
On Manuscript Tradition of Kerala
35 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Seminars
Since 1
st
April, 2009, three seminars were
organised:
Seminar cum round table on Manuscript
Tradition of India at NMM ofce on 17
th

February, 2010
Seminar on the Development of Bengali
Script at University of Delhi, from 25
th
to 28
th

February, 2010
1.
2.
Seminar cum Round Table Discussion on
Persian and Arabic Manuscripts in India At
IGNCA, from 29
th
to 31
st
March, 2010
Kriti Rakshana
Published and distributed two issues of the
Kriti Rakshana and the forthcoming issue of
the Kriti Rakshana is being edited.
3.
36 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Manuscriptology
& Palaeography
T
he manuscript heritage of India is unique
in its linguistic and scriptural diversity.
Dearth of skill or expertise in scripts in
contemporary researchers has, however, posed
a threat to the study and understanding of this
textual heritage. To address this, the NMM has
developed a detailed framework, with a view to
train students and researchers in Indian scripts
and manuscript studies. Through workshops,
introduction of manuscriptology courses in
universities, and providing fellowships for the
higher studies in manuscriptology, the NMM
seeks to contribute directly to the production of a
skilled resource pool in manuscript studies.
Objectives
Promotion of manuscriptology, covering a
wide range of specializationspreparation
of raw material (paper, birch bark, palm leaf,
ink, stylus), study of scripts, cataloguing, etc
Training of researchers in methodologies of
texual criticisms, translation, interpretation,
reconstruction of texts, study of scribal
traditions, etc.
Preparation of critical editions of important
and hithero unpublished texts
Promotion of manuscriptology courses in
universities and to generate, enhance and
encourage possibilities of research in
these areas

37 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010

Facilitating the networking of shared
knowledge community of scholars and
researchers in manuscript studies for
productive research in manuscriptology and
paleography
Methodology
Organising Basic Level Workshops over
three weeks, at diferent locations around the
country with emphasis on old scripts specifc
to the area
Organising Advanced Level Workshops over
one and half month to two months, across
the country, combining emphasis on scripts
specifc to the region and practical training in
that area
Holding the Gurukula Programme in which,
in the frst instance, 15 students will work
closely with 7 scholars to prepare critical
editions of seminal and as yet unpublished
texts
Promoting the introduction of
manuscriptology courses at the Masters, M.
Phil and Diploma levels in universities
Collaborating with renowned scholars on
manuscriptology and paleography
Facilitating the publication of research
works on manuscripts through a publication
programme
Courses on Manuscriptology
and Paleography
As a signifcant part of the Missions initiatives
to generate skilled researchers in manuscript
studies, workshops are organised across the
country, promoting the knowledge and expertise
in regional scripts as well as the classical ones.
The MRCs of the regions are involved as
coordinating bodies for the workshops at the
state level. In other instances, institutions of
repute in the states are brought within the fold,

to organise the workshops. Practically each aspect

of manuscript studies are dealt with in these
workshops, spanning reading of scripts, classical
and vernacular, collation, editing, preparation
of indexes as well as aspects of conservation and
preservation. In 200910, the Mission organised
6 Basic Level and 4 Advanced Level Workshops.
A. Basic Level Courses on
Manuscriptology and
Palaeography
Basic level courses are held for a period of
two to three weeks at diferent parts of the
country in collaboration with an MRC or other
institutions of repute. The course familiarises
students with local script prevalent in their area
as well as ancient scripts like, Grantha, Gaudi,
Tilagari, Modi and Persian. In addition, the
course covers aspects of critically editing texts
and their cataloguing, history of writing, basic
conservation and storage of manuscripts and
use of information technology in manuscript
preservation and research.
B. Advanced Level Workshop
on Manuscriptology and
Palaeography
The Mission conducts Advanced Level courses
on Manuscriptology and Palaeography of
one and half to two months duration. In
these Advanced Level courses, about 30 to 35
selected students from among the participants
in the Basic Level Manuscriptology courses
are given intensive training on select scripts,
as well as practical training in transcription,
collation and critical editing with maximum
number of practical sessions. Various aspects of
conservation and preservation of manuscripts
are also included. The faculty consists of the
senior scholars in the country representing
diferent disciplines in Manuscriptology and
38 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Palaeography. These workshops are aimed
at creating a new generation of scholars to
carry on the work on manuscript studies. The
participants are asked to indicate their research
interests and to apply themselves to study and
edit specifc manuscripts for further research
and critical editing under the supervision
of well-known scholars afliated to reputed
institutions
Since April 2009, six Basic Level workshops
have been organised in (1) IGNCA Varanasi,
(2) Delhi (Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya
Sanskrit Vidyapeeth), (3) Jadavpur University
(West Bengal), (4) Tripunithura (Kerala),
(5) Bhogilal Leharchand Institute of Indology
(New Delhi) and (6) Gauhati University
(Assam). Besides Basic Level workshops
one Advanced Level workshop was held
at Mysore. In the basic level workshops,
more than 200 students learnt archaic scripts,
e, g, Sharada, Newari, Gaudi, etc. and
procedures of critical editing along with
practical training.
Manuscriptology Workshops held in the Year 200910
Sl. No. Place Date of Workshop Details of the Workshop
1. IGNCA, Varanasi,
Banaras
25
th
June 10
th
July, 2009 Textual Editing and Teaching of the Script-
Sharada and Newari
2. Jadavpur University,
West Bengal
10
th
22
nd
August, 2009 Manuscriptology and Editing of Sanskrit
Texts
3. Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri
Rashtriya Sanskrit
Vidyapeetha, New Delhi
27
th
August11
th

September, 2009
Editing of the Texts and Textual Criticism:
Gaudi and Oriya
4. Centre for Heritage
Studies
5
th
to 25
th
November 2009 Ancient Scripts Reading & Editing of Rare
Manuscripts
5. Bhogilal Leharchand
Institute of Indology,
Delhi
20
th
December, 200910
th

January, 2010
Decipherment of Manuscripts Available in
Prakrit Languages
6. Gauhati University,
Guwahati
10
th
26
th
February, 2010 Basic Level Workshop on Manuscriptology
and Palaeography
7. University of Mysore,
Mysore
19
th
Feb30
th
March, 2010 Advanced Level Workshop on
Manuscriptology and Palaeography
39 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Publications
Publication of unpublished manuscripts, critical edition of manuscripts, seminar papers,
lectures, etc. occupy a position of prime emphasis in the scheme of things undertaken by the
NMM. The NMM has started four primary series Tattvabodha (lecture papers), Kritibodha
(critical editions), Samikshika (seminar papers) and Samrakshika (papers of seminars on
conservation) - besides other publications. So far NMM has published Three volumes under
Tattvabodha series, one volume under Kritibodha, two under Samikshika and two under
Samrakshika. TattvabodhaIII and SamikshikaIII are in the process of editing.
To give impetus to the publication of unpublished manuscripts, NMM has prepared a list of
300 important unpublished manuscripts available at dierent repositories in India. Afer selecting
200 more manuscripts the list of 500 manuscripts will be referred to a commitee for short listing
100 manuscripts which will then be published by the NMM under Kritibodha Series.
Publications of the NMM
Tatvabodha, the monthly lecture series launched
by the National Mission for Manuscripts in
January 2005, has established itself as a forum
for intellectual debate and discussion. Eminent
scholars representing diferent aspects of
Indian knowledge systems have addressed and
interacted with audiences both in Delhi and other
centres across the country.
The Mission publishes a compilation of these
lectures by the same name. Three volumes of
Tatvabodha have been published so far.
TATTVABODHA VOLUMEI
Edited by: Sudha Gopalakrishnan
Publishers: National Mission for Manuscripts, New Delhi and
Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi
Pages: 164
Price: ` 325/-
40 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
The National Mission for Manuscripts
organises national level Seminars as part of its
outreach programme. The papers presented
in these seminars are published under the
title, Samrakshika (conservation related) and
Samikshika (research oriented).
The frst volume of Samrakshika called
Indigenous Methods and Manuscript
Preservation, was published in September
TATTVABODHA VOLUMEII
Edited by: Kalyan Kumar Chakravarty
Publishers: National Mission for Manuscripts, New Delhi and
Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
New Delhi
Pages: 194
Price: ` 350/-
2006. It contains proceedings of the seminar
Indigenous Methods of Preservation and
Conservation of Manuscripts organised at
Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts
(IGNCA), New Delhi in February 2005. The
papers in this volume emphasize on indigenous
techniques and methods of conservation, the
need to revive these as they are more benefcial
to manuscripts.
SAMRAKSHIKA VOLUMEI
Indigenous Methods of Manuscript Preservation
Edited by: Sudha Gopalakrishanan
Volume Editor: Anupam Sah
Publishers: National Mission for Manuscripts, New Delhi and
D. K. Printworld (P) Ltd., New Delhi
Pages: 253
Price: ` 350/-
TATTVABODHA VOLIII
Edited by: Prof. Dipti S. Tripathi
Publishers: National Mission for Manuscripts, New Delhi and
Dev Books, New Delhi
Pages: 240
Price: ` 350/-
41 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
SAMIKSHIKA VOLUME-II
Text and Variantions of the Mahbhrata
Publishers: National Mission for Manuscripts,
New Delhi and Munsiram Manoharlal Publishers (P) Ltd.,
New Delhi
Year of Publication: 2009
Pages: 335
Price: ` 500/-
Samikshika-I is a collection papers presented
in a seminar on Budhist Literary Heritage
in India. Samikshika-II is an anthology of
papers presented at a national seminar on
the Mahbhrata, organised by the National
Mission for Manuscripts, IGNCA in February,
2007. The seminar, Text and variantions of
the Mahbhrata: Contextual, Regional and
Performative Traditions, forms a part of
Samikshika, the seminar series of the mission.
SAMRAKSHIKA VOLUMEII
Rare Support Materials for Manuscripts and their
Conservation
Edited by: Shri K. K. Gupta
Publishers: National Mission for Manuscripts, New Delhi
and Dev Books, New Delhi
Pages: 102
Price: ` 200/-
SAMIKSHIKA VOLUMEI
Buddhist Literary Heritage in India
Edited by: Prof. Ratna Basu
Publishers: National Mission for Manuscripts, New Delhi
and Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
Pages: 158
Price: ` 325/-
The National Mission for Manuscripts has taken
the initiative of publishing critical editions of rare
and previously unpublished texts under the title
Krtibodha.
The frst of the Krtibodha series was Vdhla
Ghygamavtirahasyam of Nryaa Mira
critically edited by Prof. Braj Bihari Chaubey.
The text is a versifed commentary on the
42 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
KIRTIBODHA-I
Vdhla Ghygamavtirahasyam of Nryaa Mira
Indigenous Traditions and Manuscript Preservation
Critically edited by: Braj Bihari Chaubey
General editor: Sudha Gopalakrishnan
Publishers: National Mission for Manuscripts,
NewDelhi and D. K. Printworld (P) Ltd., New Delhi
Pages: 472
Price: ` 550/-
The Mission not only encourages
documentation of manuscript collections all
over the country but also plans to publish
them. We have a programme of publishing
descriptive catalogues of all the collections of
the Manuscript Resource Centres working with
the Mission.
The Mission has published a catalogue of
the exhibition of Indian manuscripts at the
Frankfurt Book Fair, Germany. The catalogue
covers several aspects of Indian manuscripts.
It is divided into 6 sections; From Clay to
Copper giving us an idea of the variety of
materials on which texts are found; The
Making of a Manuscript with information
on styluses and inkpots; Fields of Learning
which provides an overview of the diferent
areas which manuscripts deal in; Veneration,
Submission, Worship shows us the importance
of the word which is considered sacred; the
ffh section, Word and Image provides
us a glimpse of illustrated manuscripts in
the country; lastly, Royal Commands and
Plain Records is an indicator of the fact that
manuscripts were an integral part of lives
of everyone from the King to the common man.
Vdhlaghyastravti, which itself is a short
commentary on Vdhlaghyastra. The text
is important for the wealth of information it
contains on domestic rites and rituals, especially
related to Ghya and Smrtakarma. It also has
reference to other important texts such as Katha-
Aranyaka, Vadhulagam and Vrata Sangraha
which have so far remained unknown.
THE WORD IS SACRED SACRED IS THE WORD
The Word is Sacred, Sacred is the Word- the Indian
Manuscript Tradition by B. N. Goswamy with contributions
from Dhritabrata Bhatacharya, Yashaswini Chandra, Kakul
Fatima, Jagdish Mital, D. K. Rana, Rita Devi Sharma,
Sanjukta Sunderason and Gitanjali Surendran
Publishers: National Mission for Manuscripts,
New Delhi and Niyogi Ofset Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
Pages: 248
Price: ` 1850/-
43 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Vinanidhi: Manuscript Treasures of India:
A catalogue of select manuscripts declared
Vnanidhi: Manuscript Treasures of India has
also been prepared by the Mission. This was
released by Smt. Ambika Soni, Minister for
Tourism and Culture in February 2007 in a
function which also saw the launch of database of
1 million manuscripts on the web.
VNANIDHI: MANUSCRIPT TREASURES OF INDIA
Published by: National Mission for Manuscripts,
New Delhi
Pages: 144
44 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Performance of
the NMM in 20082009
Documentation in 20082009
1. Total Data Received : 2, 80,913
2. Data Entered : 0, 53,218
3. Data Corrected : 2, 03,118
4. Data Web-loaded : 7. 5 Lakh
Post Survey
Post Survey is an extensive program which
follows the National Survey to accelerate the
documentation work of the Mission. National
Survey is conducted to identify repositories
in a state, whereas Post Survey is conducted
to document individual manuscripts therein.
During the Post Survey program, selected and
trained scholars revisit the identifed repositories
for documenting manuscripts, and also trace new
repositories those are lef unidentifed during
the National Survey. It is conducted in each state
where the National Survey has already taken
place. An intensive and thorough Post Survey
exercise is essential for compiling the National
Manuscript Database.
In 20082009 the following districts were taken
up for Post Survey:
Utar Pradesh
Sant Ravidasnagar
Unnao
Himachal Pradesh
Chamba
Hamirpur
1.
a.
b.
2.
a.
b.
Karnataka
Biapur
Bellary
Data collected through Post Survey initiatives in
200809:
1. Utar Pradesh : 34000
2. Himachal Pradesh : 5258
3. Karnataka : 20081
4. Bihar : 8741
5. Kerala : 25415
Total Data received : 93495
Post Survey exercises have also been initiated in
Tripura, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Conservation
A three day training programme for the
students of MA (Conservation) was organised
at NMM from 1719 June 2008. Students were
given specialized training on conservation,
storage and reorganization of manuscripts.
Training programme was atended by 20
students from National Museum Institute,
New Delhi and Delhi Institute of Heritage
Research and Management, and was meant
for adding into the pool of conservation
resource persons.
A four day workshop on Conservation of
Palmleaf Manuscripts was held at INTACH-
ICI, Bhubaneswar Centre from 1720
November, 2008. Around 25 participants from
3.
a.
b.
1.
2.
45 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
diferent museums, libraries and institutions
atended the Workshop.
A three day workshop on Preventive
Conservation of Manuscripts was jointly
organised by the NMM and the Regional
Conservation Laboratory, Tiruvananthapuram
(MCC) from 2931 December, 2008. There
were 30 participants from various MCPCs in
Tamilnadu and Kerala.
A six day workshop was organised jointly
by the NMM and Karnataka State Archieves
on Preventive Conservation of Manuscripts
from 1924 January, 2009. Around 30
participants benefted from the training
imparted by the experts from NMM, RCL,
Mysore and INTACH.
Digitization
Afer the launching of digitization initiative, the
Mission has completed digitization of
25160 Manuscripts (3835816 pages). There are
7708 DVDs containing the digital images of the
Manuscripts are in the custody of the National
Mission for Manuscripts. The detailed status of
digitization of Manuscripts from 1
st
April 2008 to
31
st
March, 2009 stands as follows:
3.
4.
In addition to the digitization of manuscripts
the following could be achieved by the Mission
during the same period:
Developed Sofware for National Digital
Manuscripts Library. Manuscripts can be
searched by Title, Author, Subject, Repository,
Language, Script and Period and Material.
The data can also be sorted out on the basis of
illustration.
Upgradation of the e-Granthavali (sofware
for entering the manus data details) from the
version 2.0 to 3.0 (developed by NIC) afer
discussions with eminent scholars.
The Mission has developed a search engine
which is present in the website of the NMM
(www.namami.org) for searching the details
and demographics of manuscripts for
research purpose.
Research & Publication
Publication is in fact an ambitious endeavour to
bring to the light unpublished rare and important
manuscripts and to inspire serious research
initiatives on and related to manuscripts and
manuscriptology.
1.
2.
3.
Digitization in 20082009
Agency Institute No. of Mss.
Digd.
No. of Pages
Digd.
Status
CBSL OSM, BBSR 3443 410000
CBSL KKHL, Guwahati 2000 158000 Complete, data handover
pending
Sigma Tech Gaur University, Sagar 1010 117603
Sigma Tech Anandashram, Pune 1227 194592 Started
Adea Infotech Himachal Academy, Simla 257 56000
Adea Infotech Vrindavan Research Institute 2700 150000 Started
ACI Infocom Institute of Asian Studies,
Chennai
500 150000
ACI Infocom French Institute 502 170661
ACI Infocom Kundakunda, Indore Started
Total 10362 1226170
46 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Books Published from the NMM:
Tatvabodha: Vol. I & II
Samrakshika: Vol. I & II
Samikshika: Vol. I & II
Kritibodha: Vol. I
Of the above mentioned books Samikshika,
Vol. II (compendium of seminar papers of the
Mahabharata Seminar held in New Delhi in
February, 2006) and Tatvabodha Vol. II were
published in 20082009.
Public Outreach
The Mission has launched the public outreach
initiatives in 2005. Through its public outreach
initiatives, the Mission seeks to bring the several
facets of knowledge contained in manuscripts
to the public through lectures, seminars,
publications and specially designed programmes
for school children and university students.
Tatvabodha Lecture: Under Public Outreach
programme, there is a series of lectures titled
Tatvabodha in which scholars representing
diferent intellectual disciplines are invited to
share their thoughts with the public at large. The
primary aim of this series is to bring the most
eminent scholars of Indian knowledge systems
to a forum where they can present their ideas
and interact with interested members of the
public. This has been instituted as a monthly
lecture series in Delhi, and also in other parts of
the country, wherever possible. Since 2005 till 28
March, 2009, sixty three such lectures have been
organised, of which ffy have been organised in
Delhi and thirteen outside Delhi. Lectures held in
20082009 are as in the Table below:
Sl.
No.
Date & Venue Topic & Speaker
1. 29.04.2008
IGNCA, New Delhi
Relation of Grammar and Literature with Special Reference to
Kalidasas Works
By Vidvan H.V. Nagaraja Rao
2. 24.05.2008
B.L. Institute of Indology, Delhi
Jaina Darshana Meh Kala Dravya Ka Svarupa
By Dr. Dharam Chand Jain
3. 17.06.2008
IGNCA, New Delhi
Methods and Stages of the Preservation of Ancient Indian Scriptures:
Oral Tradition
By Dr. Radhamadhav Bharadwaj
4. 25.07.2008
IGNCA, New Delhi
Vedic Ritual and its Symbolism
By Prof. Usha Choudhuri
5. 29.08.2008
IGNCA, New Delhi
Rare Manuscripts in Southeast Asia: Research, Scope and Future
By Dr. Amarjiv Lochan
6. 26.09.2008
IGNCA, New Delhi
Some Observations on the Critical Reconstruction of the Text of
Abhinanasakuntalam
7. 31.10.2008
IGNCA, New Delhi
Rare and Unpublished Manuscripts on Ayurveda
By Dr. Madan Mohan Padhi
8. 28.11.2008
IGNCA, New Delhi
Research on Conservation of Cultural Property in India
By Dr. M.V. Nair
9. 30.12.2008
IGNCA, New Delhi
Concept of Speech in Vedic Literature
By Prof. G.C. Tripathi
10. 28.01.2009
Assam University, Silchar
Manuscript Resources in Barak Valley: An Overview
By Dr. Amalendu Bhatacharjee
11. 27.02.2009
IGNCA, New Delhi
Abhinavagupta, Ek Punarmulyankan
By Prof. Navjivan Rastogi
12. 27.03.2009
IGNCA, New Delhi
Manuscripts in the Service of the Common Man
By Prof. R. Sathyanarayana
47 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Kriti Rakshana
Kriti Rakshana was started as a bi-monthly
publication of the NMM in August, 2005. Since
then, till June, 2007, 12 issues were published
maintaining regularity and steady growth. To
begin with, only 2,000 copies were printed in
August, 2005. But within two years the demand
has been increased to 8,000 copies. Since
September, 2007, out of nine issues only three
issues could be published within a span of one
and half years (18 months).
48 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
49 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Achievement of the
NMM during 20032008
The Major achievements of the Mission during
the last fve years are stated below:
Documentation of Manuscripts
Total electronic data of manuscripts on the
web = 10 lakh
Total data stock (hard data+ electronic data)
= About 24 lakh
No. of repositories (institutions and private
collections) 25,000
National Survey of Manuscripts
No. of States surveyed = 16
(Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Haryana, Delhi,
Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Rajasthan, Gujarat,
Chatisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh, Orissa and some districts of Utar Pradesh
and Bihar under Pilot Survey)
Survey preparation underway in Madhya
Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh,
Pondicherry, Goa, Ladakh, Utarakhand, UP,
Bihar and Jharkhand
Post Survey (Documentation)
No. of States where Post-Survey was conducted = 8
(Orissa, Bihar, Manipur, Karnataka, Utar Pradesh, Tamil
Nadu, Kerala and Himachal Pradesh)
Total data documented through post survey
5.10 lakh.

Conservation
Established network of 33 Manuscript
Conservation Centres and more than 300
Manuscripts Conservation Partner Centres
(MCPCs)
2 feld labs established (Leh and Guwahati)
Evolved Basic Standards for Conservation of
Manuscripts Preventive conservation
Preventive Conservation Workshops - 10
Curative conservation workshops - 5
Curative conservation training for MCC
staf 3
Workshop on rare support materials (on
Parchment and Ivory, Metal, Sanchipat and
Cloth) 4
Support services to repositoriesundertaken
in 7 diferent collections
4 research projects initiated in collaboration
with NRLC
Digitization
Digitized manuscripts of Orissa; Kutiyatam
Manuscripts of Kerala; Siddha Manuscripts of
Tamil Nadu and selected Jaina manuscripts
Total No. of folios digitized = 25,00,000
Total DVDs received = 8,000
Research & Publication
Lecture Papers:
Tatvabodha vol. I, Co-published with
Munshiram Manoharlal, Delhi

1.
50 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Seminar Papers:
Samrakshika vol. I (Indigenous Methods
of Manuscript Conservation), Co-
published with D. K. Printworld, Delhi
Samikshika vol. I and II (Buddhist
Literary Heritage in India: Text and
Context), Munishiram Manoharlal, Delhi
Critical Editions:
1. Kritibodha vol. I, Vdhla
Grhygamavrtirahasyam of Nryana Mira
critically edited by Braj Bihari Chaubey, 2006,
Co-published with D.K. Printworld, Delhi
Catalogues:
The Word is Sacred, Sacred is the Word-
the Indian Manuscript Tradition by
B. N. Goswamy, 2006, National Mission
for Manuscripts and Niyogi Books,
New Delhi
Vinananidhi: Manuscript Treasures
of India, 2007, National Mission for
Mansucripts, New Delhi
Newsleter, Kriti Rakshana, 13 issues
published since August 2005
Basic Standards for Conservation of
Manuscripts
Basic Standards for Digitization of
Manuscripts (1
st
and 2
nd
Volumes)
Public Outreach
Exhibition of Indian manuscripts (The Word
is Sacred, Sacred is the Word) at Frankfurt
Book Fair, 2006

1.
2.

1.
2.

Tatvabodha Lectures: 38 lectures held in

New Delhi and 11 in other centers across the
country.
Theatre in Education programme for school
children in 10 schools in Delhi; 11 districts of
Andhra Pradesh and one day workshop at
National Archives, New Delhi
University Level Debate programme held
in 4 cities (Varanasi, Ujjain, Ahmedabad,
Guwahati) covering 15 states
3 Seminars were held in Kolkata, Sagar and
Delhi
Manuscript Studies
(Manuscriptology &
Palaeography)
Basic Course on Manuscriptology &
Palaeography 10 for 23 weeks and about
400470 students participated.
Advance Course on Manuscriptology &
Palaeography 6 about 4045 days and about
160170 students participated. Most of the
participants are from the MRCs, Gurukuls
and Universities.
Other Activities
Prepared proposal and got successful in the
inclusion of Rigveda manuscripts preserved at
the Bhanderkar Oriental Research Institute in the
UNESCOS Memory of the World Registar in 2007.

51 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010

Mission Directory
Prof. Dipti S. Tripathi,
Director
Dr. Viay Shankar Shukla
SRO
Pt. Satkari Mukhopadhaya
Consultant (Manuscript)
Sri R. M. Nawani
Internal Financial Advisor
Sri S. P. Swamy
Sr. Accounts Ofcer and Coordinator, MRC & MCC
Documentation
Dr. Ganesh Prasad Panda
Coordinator
Dr. Prabhat Kumar Das,
Documentation Assistant
Dr. Sridhar Barik,
Asst. Coordinator, Post Survey
Shiv Prasad Tripathi
Documentation Assistant
Dr. Avadh Kishore Chaudhary
Documentation Assistant
Abdur Razique
Documentation Assistant
Ramavatar Sharma,
Documentation Assistant
Shishir Kumar Padhy,
Documentation Assistant
Lakshmidhar Panigrahi,
Documentation Assistant
Pramita Mishra,
Documentation Assistant
Mamta Lekhwar
Cataloguer
Sheeja T
Cataloguer
Deepti Negi
Cataloguer
Laxmi Rawat
Cataloguer
Mukesh Janotra
Cataloguer
Deepak Kochar
Cataloguer
Survey and Post-Survey
Dr. N. C. Kar
Asst. Coordinator, Post Survey
Conservation
Dr. Kirti Srivastava
Coordinator
Digitization
Bishvaranjan Mallik
Coordinator
Pranaya Kumar Mishra
Programmer
Muhammad Mansoor Akhtar,
Programmer
Sharmishtha Sen
Assistant Programmer
52 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Research & Publication
Dr. Sanghamitra Basu
Coordinator
Mrinmoy Chakraborty
Editor, Kriti Rakshana
Public Outreach
Dr. Dileep Kumar Kar
Coordinator
Accounts and Ofce Support
Sri Rakesh Kumar Kalra
Accounts Assistant
Snehlata
Accounts Assistant
Deepa Chopra
Personal Assistant
Lata Gohri
P.A. to SRO
Smt. Kamla Rawat
Peon
Shri Mohit Kumar Karotia
Peon
Smt. Sushila
Peon
53 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Commitees Governing the
National Mission
for Manuscripts
National Empowered
Commitee
Chairman: Dr. Monmohan Singh,
Hon able Prime Minister of India
(Commitee in the process of reconstitution)
Executive Commitee
Chairman: Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and
Culture, Government of India
Director, National Mission for Manuscripts
Member Secretary, Indira Gandhi National
Centre for the Arts
Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture
Prof. V. Kutumba Sastri, Vice-Chancellor,
Sampurnanand Sanskrit, University, Varanasi
Prof. M. V. Nair
Dr. M. H. Makhdooomi, Retd Director,
Archaeology and Museums, Jammu and
Kashmir
Shri Chamu Krishna Shastri, Secretary,
Samskrita Bharati
Finance Commitee
Under the chairmanship of the Financial Adviser,
Ministry of Culture
Financial Advisor, Ministry of Culture
Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
1.
2.
Director, Finance, Ministry of Culture
Director, National Mission for Manuscripts
Project Monitoring
Commitee
Chairman: Joint Secretary, Department of Culture,
Government of India
Joint Secretary, IGNCA
Prof. V. Kutumba Sastri, Vice Chancellor,
Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi
Prof. H. K. Satapathy, Vice Chancellor,
Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Tirupati
Shri Chamu Krishna Sastri, Secretary
Samskrita Bharati
Director, Ministry of Culture
Dr. Imtiaz Ahmed, Director, Khuda Bakhsh
Oriental Public Library, Patna
Dr. Jitendra Shah, Director, Lalbhai
Dalpatbhai Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad
Dr. Ravindra Panth
Director, National Mission for Manuscripts
3.
4.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
54 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
55 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Our Partners
Manuscript Resource Centres
(MRCs)
Expansion and Strengthening
of Manuscript Resource
Centres
To create an extensive network for survey,
documentation, cataloguing and awareness
among the people and to assist the keepers and
stakeholders of manuscripts, the Mission has set
up Manuscript Resource Centres (MRCs) across
the country in universities, renowned research
institutions and established non-governmental
organizations engaged in work relating to
manuscripts.
Organization of the MRCs
Each MRC has a core team of personnel
trained in various levels of expertise like
cataloguing, editing and deciphering scripts
The activities of each MRC are administered
and coordinated by a Project Coordinator
from the existing staf of the Institution
To source the data through feld surveys
and document the manuscripts, two types
of personnel work with the MRCscholars
engaged in the feld for survey and the
computer entry personnel to enter data in the
Manus Granthavali sofware
Manuscript Registration Centre is equipped
with two computers and a printer with
internet facilities and the prescribed Manus
Granthavali sofware where manuscript data
is entered for eventual integration into the

National Electronic Database of Manuscripts

at the Mission Ofce
To fnd resource persons to decipher and
edit manuscripts through Organising
workshops on Manuscriptology and
Paleography
The funds for each MRC are disbursed
according to its capacity and satisfactory output
Activities of MRCs
The MRCs engage trained researchers and
students in the feld of Manuscriptology for
survey and documentation
MRCs help in the National Surveys at the
State level
MRCs network with private and institutional
manuscript custodians
MRCs fnd scholars to decipher manuscripts
and teach scripts and other aspects of
Manuscriptology and Paleography
MRCs coordinate with the NMM ofce in
Delhi to organise Tatvabodha lectures and
national seminars
Supporting Manuscript
Partner Centres
Apart from the Manuscript Resource Centres,
the Mission has created a network of Manuscript
Partner Centres. Here we have afliated with
important manuscript repositories for the
documentation and cataloguing of their own

56 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010

collections. Their work involves basic cataloguing
through Manus Granthavali sofware done
by their own staf on a pro-rata basis or by
outsourcing the task.
Documentation of
Collections Abroad
The Mission had been preparing the ground
for the documentation of collections located in
repositories abroad. More than 70 institutions
were contacted in 2006. Afer a gap of three
years, the Mission has been in the process of
drawing up a project for coordinating with
the SAARC nations, to document Indian
manuscripts in the various South Asian
countries. It is expected that in 201011, this
exercise in international networking and
documentation of collections abroad will
begin to yield tangible results in terms of the
expansion of the National Electronic Database
and the digitization of particularly rare and
valuable Indian manuscripts.
Strategy
Establishing contact with known repositories
of Indian manuscripts in Europe, USA and
Asia
Sending the appropriate formats on which
our manuscript data is collected
Sending the Manus Granthavali sofware for
computerization of data
Helping repositories locate scholars in their
areas who can read and decipher as yet un-
catalogued Indian manuscripts

Collecting catalogues where such catalogue of

Indian manuscripts exist
Digitize the Indian manuscripts available in
collections abroad
Manuscript Research Centres,
Andhra Pradesh Government
Oriental Manuscripts Library,
Hyderabad
With a view to salvaging the valuable and
rare manuscripts in the State, the Oriental
Manuscripts Library was established in the
Andhra Pradesh State Archives Department
in 1967. In 1975, the Library was made an
independent directorate under the Education
Department. It is now located in the Osmania
University Campus. The main objective of
the Department is the documentation and
preservation of manuscripts. It has a rich
collection of 24,017 manuscripts both on palm
leaf and paper in Telugu, Sanskrit, Urdu, Arabic,
Persian, Kannada, Hindi, Oriya, Marathi and a
few other languages. These manuscripts relate
to various subjects like Vedas, Upanishads,
Agamas, Dharmashastra, Grammar, Prosody,
Alankarashastra, Mantrashastra, Tantrashashtra,
Indian Medicine, Unani Medicine, Astrology,
Astronomy, Kavya, Dictionaries, etc. The
Institute has published three volumes of
Descriptive Catalogues. There are a number
of rare manuscripts preserved in the Library,
such as the Bhargava Purana, Tatvasangraha
Ramayana and Andhra Tulasi Ramayana in
Telugu, Akaradi Amara Nighantu, Samaveda
in Sanskrit, Diwan-i-Gawazi in Urdu and

57 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010

Almuktra-i-Funoon, Aqlaq-i-Nasery in Arabic
and Persian. The Institute has digitized 7,698
manuscripts of 6.60 lakh pages of palm-leaf and
paper manuscripts from its own collection.
The MRC was established in November
2005. The MRC has so far documented 10,406
manuscripts as electronic data and has conducted
six awareness campaigns which received a
great response from the public. The MRC
collected hundreds of writen documents of folk
performances and oral narratives palm-leaves and
paper scrolls. There are many types of manuscripts
& documents seen during survey period in the
possession of the villagers. One type of document
which are found with village performers are
family right deeds or hakku patras. The
members of performer families have received
right to perform from the village elders and by
some local authority. The hakku patras allow these
villagers to perform in forty villages known as
pati. Though these documents are discovered
in small quantity, they are important and helpful
in providing information about socio-artistic
activities, local histories, and oral literature.
Address:
Prof. Sripada Subramanayam
Director
A.P. Govt. Oriental Manuscripts Library and
Research Institute
Jama-I-Osmania, Osmania University Campus
Hyderabad500007
Andhra Pradesh
Tele/fax: 040 23220236
University of Madras, Chennai
Since August 2003 The University of Madras has
been collaborating with the Mission to complete
the project of New Catalogus Catalogorum which
is very informative for scholars in the feld of
Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit. The New Catalogus
Catalogorum is a comprehensive alphabetical
register of Sanskrit and allied works in Pali,
Prakrit and Apabhramsa carried out by the
University of Madras since 1935. The National
Mission had taken steps to restart this illustrious
programme. Through fnancial support from the
Mission, the publication of volumes were brought
out by 2007. So far volumes have been completed
through this project.
The University signed a second MOU in July
2004 to collaborate as a MRC for locating and
documenting the manuscripts of Tamil Nadu. The
MRC has documented and produced electronic
data on 7,500 manuscripts covering 5 institutions,
29 muts, 2 universities and 25 private collections
in 7 districts.
Address:
V. Arasu
Head of the Department of Tamil Literature
Marina Campus, University of Madras
Chennai600005
Tamil Nadu
Tel: 044 28444933/28441686 Fax: 044
25366693/28445517
Email: [email protected]
French Institute of Pondicherry,
Pondicherry
The French Institute of Pondicherry was
established in 1955. The Institute was established
with a view to collecting all material relating to
Saiva Agamas, scriptures of the Saiva religious
tradition called the Saiva Siddhanta, which
has fourished in South India since the eighth
century A. D. The manuscript collection of the
Institute was compiled under its Founder
Director, Jean Filliozat. The manuscripts in need
of urgent preservation cover a wide variety
of topics such as Vedic ritual, Saiva Agama,
Sthalapurana and scripts such as Grantha and
Tamil. The collection consists of approximately
8,600 palm-leaf codices (including 360 bundles
of texts writen on paper) and 1,144 transcripts
58 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
59 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
of manuscripts on paper in Devanagari script
including fve illustrated manuscripts.
It is unique as it has the largest collection of
Saiddhantika manuscripts in the world.
The MRC at the French Institute has been
in operation since August 2003. It has so far
documented 33, 908 manuscripts into the
database of the Mission.
Address:
T. Ganesan
Project Coordinator
French Institute of Pondicherry
11 Saint Louis Street, PB-33
Pondicherry605001
Tel: 0413 2334168 (ext) 123 Fax: 0413 2339534
Department of Manuscriptology,
Kannada University,
Hampi
The Manuscriptology Department at Kannada
University at Hampi, Karnataka, was
started in 1996. It may be considered as the
foremost department designed for the study
of the manuscripts at the University level
in Karnataka. The Department has a four-
fold activity, which includes the collection of
manuscripts, editing them, their study in a new
dimension by adopting innovative technology
and their publication. The main objective of
the Department is to compile manuscripts
that enshrine the history of centuries, to
enrich Indias cultural history. Field work,
seminar, training courses, workshops are
part of the programme of this Department. It
has so far collected more than 4,000 valuable
manuscripts including Tamil, Telugu, and
Malayalam, Marathi and Sanskrit languages
besides Kannada. Some of the most signifcant
among them are Nammi`s Bharata, Halayudha
Stotra, Kumarasambhava, Shivadhikya Ratnavali
and a commentary on Maghakavya, etc.
There are also several illustrated and colored
manuscripts.
The Manuscript Department of the
Manuscript Library of Kannada University has
many specialties. The library has 5500 very rare
manuscripts. Among the collection Kannada
manuscripts are more than 3,000 in number.
The MRC at Kannada University, Hampi, has
been functioning since June 2004. It has covered
200 institutions and 1600 private collections
covering 11 districts during survey and has
organised 27 awareness campaigns. The MRC
has so far documented 58,638 manuscripts most
of which are writen in Sanskrit or Kannada
scripts covering a wide range of subjects like
Religion, Astrology, Philosophy, Vastu Shastra,
songs, folklore etc. The Department has
collected 1500 manuscripts during the
survey period.
Address:
Veeresh S. Badiger
Department of Manuscriptology
Kannada University
Hampi
Vidyaranya583276
Hospet Tq,
District: Bellary (Karnataka)
Tel: 08394 441335/441337, Fax: 08394 441334
Email: [email protected]
Keladi Museum and Historical
Research Bureau,
Shimoga
Afliated to Gnana Sahyadri, Shankaraghata,
Kuvempu University of Shimoga, the Keladi
Museum has a library of about 1,000 paper and
palm leaf manuscripts writen in Kannada,
Sanskrit and Telugu and approximately 400
palm leaf manuscripts in Tigalari script.
These manuscripts cover literature, art,
dharmashastra, history, astrology, astronomy,
60 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
medicine, mathematics and veterinary science.
There are also several collections of art objects,
arms, coins, stone sculptures and copper plate
inscriptions belonging to the Viayanagara and
Keladi eras.
The Museum associated itself with the
Missions network in May 2005. Since then it
has been working with the Mission and has
documented 14531 manuscripts.
Address:
Keladi Gunda Jois
Project Coordinator
Keladi Museum and Historical Research Bureau
Keladi, Sagar Taluk
Shimoga District
Karnataka577401
Mahabharata Samshodhana
Pratishthanam,
Bangalore
Founded in 1997 by a group of techies
working in various MNCs, The Mahabharata
Samshodhana Pratishthanam is an Indic research
organisation based in Bangalore. It has been
established with the objective of contextualising
Indias ancient wisdom and knowledge and use
it to improve quality of life of people across
the world and to conduct focused research in
select areas of Indic knowledge systems. It is
also involved in research and development of
new tools and technologies and in distributing
them as freeware as needed by scholars of Indic
systems.
The MRC at MSP has been functional since
December 2004 and works towards preservation
and digitization of manuscripts of India. It has so
far documented 32,145 data of manuscripts and
has conducted 5 awareness campaigns. The MSP
has covered 25 institutions and 20 individual
collections in seven districts.
Address:
Ramachandra Budihal
Project Coordinator
Mahabharata Samshodhana Pratishthanam
#1/E, 3
rd
Cross, Girinagar 1
st
Phase
Banashankari 3
rd
Stage
Bangalore560 085
Karnataka
Tel: 080 6422387
Email: [email protected]
National Institute of Prakrit
Studies and Research,
Shravanabelagola
The National Institute of Prakrit Studies and
Research was established in 1993 to promote
Prakrit language, literature, Jainology and Jain
literature in Kannada and other Dravidian
languages. It has a magnifcent library of
6,000 invaluable manuscripts writen on palm
leaf and paper along with a rich collection
of 20,000 volumes. Afliated to Mysore
University it is the only Centre in South India
promoting higher education and research on
Jain literature, theology, philosophy, history
and arts and thus it has atracted scholars
from all over the world. The Institute regularly
supports 5 advanced students to work on PHD
Degree by providing guidance and monetary
Assistance.
The Institute has some very important
manuscripts available like Gommatasara, Chatisa
Ganitha, Adipurana, and Khagendramanidarpanaand
Thiloyapannathi. The institute also possesses
a valuable copy of Thiloyapannathi of
Yathivrishabhacharya, a text writen on the three
world Jain theory in the sixth century A.D.
The MRC at National Institute of Prakrit
Studies and Research started functioning from
October 2005. Before becoming an MRC, the
Institute had documented and catalogued 50,000
61 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
data of Jain manuscripts which is integrated
in the Missions National Electronic Database
of Manuscripts. As an MRC the institute
has surveyed 50 private collections and 37
institutes and documented 42000 manuscripts
in the Missions National Electronic Database
of Manuscripts from 5 districts covering 210
institutions and private collections. The MRC has
collected 80 manuscripts in donation.
Address:
M. Udayraj
Executive Ofcer
National Institute of Prakrit Studies and Research
Shri Dhavalateertham
Shravanabelagola573135
Hassan District
Karnataka
Oriental Research Institute,
Mysore
Housed in the architecturally atractive Jubilee
Hall built in 1887, The Oriental Research Institute
was established in 1891. The institute was
established by Chamaraja Wodeyar, the Maharaja
of Mysore, with the objectives of collecting,
preserving, deciphering and critically editing
palm leaf and paper manuscripts. It was a part of
the Department of Education until 1916, when it
became a part of the University of Mysore.
Oriental Research Institute has published
nearly 200 titles, the most notable among them
is the publication of the frst ever complete text
of Kautilyas Arthashastra (writen in the fourth
century B.C) in 1909, which catapulted the
Institute to international academic renown. There
are other important texts like Navaratnamani-
mahatmya (a work on gemology), Tantrasara-
sangraha (a work on sculpture and architecture),
Vaidyashastra-dipika (an ayurvedic text),
Rasa-kaumudi (on mercurial medicine) and
Paryayapadamanjari (ayurvedic materia medica)
which are part of ORIs collection. The Institute
has already published 17 volumes of Descriptive
Catalogues of diferent subjects including
9 volumes of the Sritatvasudhanidhi, the
illustrated manuscripts.
The MRC at Oriental Research Institute,
University of Mysore, has been functioning since
October 2003. The documentation, pertaining
mainly to the collections of the MRC itself, has
covered 69,000 manuscripts through regular and
post survey. The MRC has collected about 100
manuscripts during survey period.
Address:
Dr. B. A. Dodamani
Project Coordinator
Oriental Research Institute
University of Mysore
Kautilya Circle
Mysore570005
Karnataka
Tel: 0821 2423136/2420331
Email: [email protected]
Oriental Research Institute and
Manuscripts Library, University of
Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram
Established in the University of Kerala the
Oriental Research Institute and Manuscripts
Library is a renowned repository of manuscripts
from this region. It has more than 60,000
manuscripts in palm-leaf, paper, ivory, tortoise
shell and metal covering a wide variety of
subjects. These are found in languages such
as Sanskrit, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu and
Tamil. The Library has published 8 volumes of
Alphabetical Tabular catalogues and 2 volumes of
Malayalam catalogues.
The Institute has been collaborating with the
Mission as a MRC since November 2003. It has
so far conducted surveys covering 7 districts. The
62 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
institute has documented 69,490 and prepared
electronic data of 36,240 manuscripts.
The MRC has conducted 8 awareness
compaigns and covered 8 institutions and 50
private collections.
Address:
Dr. K. G. Sreelekha
Head of the Department
Oriental Research Institute and Manuscripts
Library
University of Kerala
Kariavatom
Thiruvananthapuram695585
Kerala, Tel: 0471 2418421. Fax: 0471 2302898
Email: [email protected]
Sri Chandra Sekharendra
Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya,
Kanchipuram
Sri Chandra Sekharendra Saraswathi Viswa
Mahavidyalaya is sponsored by the Kanchi
Kamakoti Peetam Charitable Trust. The
University started functioning from 19941995
with various branches of modern knowledge
with a focus on science including Sanskrit,
Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, Medicine
(Human, Veterinary and Plant), Biotechnology,
Genetics and Computer Technology. The
University also encourages advanced research
in the above felds of knowledge. Sri Chandra
Sekharendra Saraswathi International Library
was established in 1995 a unique feature of
this library is its collection of rare and ancient
manuscripts and palm-leaves which are more
than 6,000 in number. These manuscripts have
been microflmed and will generate high quality
research in Sanskrit and various felds of modern
science and technology.
An MOU was signed between
Mahavidyalaya and NMM in November 2004.
The main objective of this project consists of
surveying and cataloguing the manuscripts
available throughout Tamilnadu. The Vice-
chancellor of the Mahavidyalaya has been
appointed as the Director of the Project and Smt.
S.Nagalakshmi, Deputy Registrar was appointed
as the project Co-ordinator.
Amongst the 5000 manuscripts, nearly 3500
manuscripts have already been catalogued and
63 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
2850 microflmed by the NMM. In the current
project, nearly 1100 manuscripts from the
original collection have been documented with
descriptive cataloguing.
Nearly 47050 electronic data were entered
through the sofware Manus Granthavali.
Address:
Dr. G. Srinivasu
Project Coordinator
Sri Chandra Sekharendra Saraswathi Viswa
Mahavidyalaya
Sri Kanchi Sankar Matha
Kanchipuram631502
Tamil Nadu
Tel: 04112 222115
Fax: 04112 224305
Thunchan Memorial Trust, Tirur
Established in memory of Thunchan Ramanujan
Ezhutachan, the great spiritual leader, poet and
social reformer of Kerala, Thunchan Memorial
Trust has through its several activities such as
conducting seminars, discussions and poetry
readings established itself as a vibrant centre of
learning dedicated to the study of history, culture
and literature of the region. The Institution
has a well-developed library with signifcant
manuscript collection.
The MRC at Thunchan Memorial Trust started
functioning in June 2004.
Address:
K.P. Ramanunni
Director
Thunchan Memorial Trust
Thunchan Parambu
Tirur676 101
Malappuram District
Kerala
Tel: 0494 2422213/2429666
Email: [email protected]
Oriental Research Institute,
Sri Venkateswara University,
Tirupati
The Oriental Research Institute in Sri
Venkateswara University, Tirupati was established
by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam in 1939. It was
set up with the objectives of furthering Indological
research and propagating Indian culture and
heritage. The institution was handed over to Sri
Venkateswara University in 1956.
The Institute has a rich collection of 50,000
palm-leaf and paper manuscripts and 75,000
rare printed books in its library. The manuscripts
in the collection cover a wide range from
philosophy, religion, epic, language, grammar to
poetics and horoscopy.
64 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
The MRC at the Institute has been working
with the Mission since September 2003. It has
so far documented 33856 manuscripts writen
in Telugu and Devanagari scripts covering 13
institutions in 4 districts. The MRC has collected
500 manuscripts as donation. Data pertaining
to the manuscripts has been entered into the
Database. It has held several outreach campaigns
and sensitization programmes through
newspaper and TV channels. This created a good
response in the area, especially among research
scholars, teachers and manuscript holders.
Address:
V. Venkataramana Reddy
In-charge Director
Oriental Research Institute
Venkateswara University
Tirupati517502
Andhra Pradesh
Tel: 0877 2249666 (ext) 291 Fax: 0877 2226614
Thanjavur Maharaja Serfojis
Saraswati Mahal Library,
Thanjavur
Built up by the successive dynasties of Nayaks
and Marathas of Thanjavur, Tanjore Maharaja
Serfojis Saraswati Mahal Library is perhaps one
among the few medieval libraries that exists in
the world. The Library contains very rare and
valuable collection of manuscripts, books, maps
and painting on all aspects of arts, culture and
literature. The Library has a rich collection of
manuscripts numbering about 59,000 in Sanskrit,
Tamil, Marathi and Telugu including several
illustrated manuscripts, which refect the history
and culture of South India. A total number
of 24,432 titles are catalogued and in active
use. The scripts used for Sanskrit language
are Grantha, Devanagari, Telugu, Malayalam,
Kannada and Oriya. Fourteen volumes of
Descriptive Catalogues have been published by
the Library so far.
The MRC at Thanjavur Maharaja Serfojis
Saraswati Mahal Library has been functioning
since September 2003. The MRC has so far
prepared 35,914 electronic data of manuscripts in
Tamil Nadu.
Address:
Sri S. Sivagnanam
Project Coordinator
Thanjavur Maharaja Serfojis Saraswati
Mahal Library
Thanjavur613009
Tamil Nadu
Tel: 04362 234107/230206,
Fax: 04362 233568/230857
Central Institute of Buddhist
Studies, Leh
The Central Institute of Buddhist Studies has
been working as the nodal resource centre for
Buddhism in the local area of Leh for several
years. Formerly known as the School of Buddhist
Philosophy, this Institute was established
in 1959. Its main objective is to develop a
comprehensive knowledge of Buddhism. This
includes the study of ancient shastras, culture,
philosophy, history and languages such as
Hindi, Sanskrit, English, Tibetan and Pali. It
also preserves and publishes rare Buddhist
manuscripts and facilitates research on
Buddhism. The Institute is dedicated to instilling
the wisdom of Buddhist thought, literature and
arts in young students.
The Institute signed the MOU with the
National Mission of Manuscripts in August
2003 and has been since then doing active
work in the difcult terrains of Ladhak, an area
which is scatered with Buddhist monasteries,
the storehouses of manuscripts. The MRC has
so far conducted surveys in 755 institutions and
private collections and prepared electronic data
for 6958 manuscripts in Tibetan and Bhoti, all
65 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
related to Buddhirm and documented 17, 858
manuscripts of Bhum, Kangyur, Gyastongpa
through seven scholars. It has conducted
50 publicity programmes which received a
phenomenal response from the people of
this region.
Address:
Dr. Tsering Mutup
Director
Central Institute of Buddhist Studies
Choglamsar
Leh (Laddak)194001
Tele./Fax: 01982-264391
Mr. Tsering Muthup (AO) 09419177543
Directorate of State Archaeology,
Archives & Museum, Srinagar
In Kashmir, Manuscripts were writen in several
languages on various materials such as birch
bark, hand-made paper, wood, stone, cloth and
terracota. These manuscripts covered almost
all important aspects of the contemporary times
such as religion, history, philosophy, literature,
medicine, arts, geography and literature. The
State of Jammu and Kashmir undoubtedly, has a
vast collection of such manuscripts and historical
documents.
The MRC at the Directorate started working
with the Mission in August 2003. The MRC has
the mandate of collecting information on the
rich cultural assets in the form of manuscripts
scatered all over the region. The Directorate has
ofces both in Srinagar and Jammu. It has so far
produced electronic data for 3672 manuscripts
and documented 20932. The rest of the data has
been sent to the Mission Head Ofce, New Delhi
to be prepared for the electronic data of Manus
Granthavali. The Museum has covered 23
institutions and 190 private collections covering
seven districts, and has held several awareness
campaigns across Jammu and Kashmir.
Address:
Director
Directorate of State Archaeology, Archives &
Museum
Stone Building, Old Secretariat
Srinagar190001
Jammu and Kashmir
Tel: 0194-2472361 (Srinagar),
0191-2578834 (Jammu)
Himachal Academy of Arts,
Culture and Languages,
Shimla
The MRC at Himachal Academy of Arts, Culture
and Languages, Shimla signed the MOU with
the Mission in May 2005. Since then the MRC
has documented 44,000 manuscripts covering
1800 private collections and 100 institutions.
It has also organised 10 publicity programs in
diferent places generating a very good response
among the people. The MRC has also been
involved in conducting the National Survey for
manuscripts in Himachal Pradesh. The Academy
has collected 700 manuscripts during the Survey
period.
Address:
Dr. B. R. Jaswal
Project Coordinator
Himachal Pradesh Academy of Arts,
Culture and Languages
Shimla171001
Himachal Pradesh
Kurukshetra University,
Kurukshetra
The Kurukshetra University was established in
1956 and its foundation stone was laid by late
Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the frst President of India.
Starting with only the Department of Sanskrit, it
has grown into a multi-faculty University as one
66 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
of the premier centres for advanced study and
research in the region. Commited to ofer quality
education, Kurukshetra University established
the Jawaharlal Nehru Library. The library has
2,99,463 documents including 7,000 manuscripts.
Kurukshetra University has a long history
of collecting manuscripts and rare books for
research and teaching. Some of its manuscripts
are 500 years old. The Universitys collection
serves the students and scholars from around the
world, as well as members of the general public,
who are welcome to use its materials.
The MRC at Kurukshetra University has
been functioning since October 2003 to locate
and document the manuscripts in the public and
private manuscript repositories of Harayana. The
MRC has documented 20,000 data of manuscripts
covering 12 districts and prepared 16658
electronic data. The MRC was also involved in
conducting the National Survey for manuscripts
in Haryana in 2006. The university MRC has
added 5,000 manuscripts in their collection
during survey period and covered about 55
institutions and 400 private collections in the
State.
Address:
Surendra Mohan Mishra
Department of Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit
Kurukshetra University
Kurukshetra136119 (Harayana)
Tel: 01744 238367, Fax: 01744 238277
Library of Tibetan Works and
Archives
Conceived of and founded by His Holiness the
14
th
Dalai Lama of Tibet, the Library of Tibetan
Works and Archives (LTWA) is one of the most
important institutions in the world dedicated to
the preservation and dissemination of Tibetan
culture. It has been operational since 1
st
November,
1971. As a centre for the study of Tibetan culture,
the Library is frmly dedicated to a threefold
vision of preservation, protection and promotion.
67 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
The Library is home to one of only two Tibetan
Oral History projects in the world. The Tibetan
Manuscript Collection contains more than 80,000
items, ranging from handwriten manuscripts
and centuries old documents to contemporary
books and periodicals. Of special value are several
handwriten editions of the Kangyur and Tengyur,
the Tibetan Buddhist Canon; major works of
Tibets four Buddhist traditions, the Nyingma,
Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug, as well as the indigenous
Bn tradition. It is in the process of completing a
general catalogue of all materials in the collection.
An important new project for the LTWA is the
launch of the Central Archives of the Works of
His Holiness the 14
th
Dalai Lama. The purpose
of which is to gather all materials concerning His
Holiness the Dalai Lamas teachings, writings and
speeches.
The Library signed the MOU with the Mission
in September 2003. The survey in this region has
so far generated 84, 781 data on manuscripts. The
Institute has conducted 25 outreach campaigns
which were well received by the participants.
The MRC has covered 10 private collections and
31 institutions covering 4 districts. The events
organised by the MRC have been broadcast in
radio and local television channels, for wider
propagation.
Address:
Dr. Labsang Shastri
Chief Librarian
Library of Tibetan Works and Archives
Gangchen Kyisong
Dharamsala176215
Himachal Pradesh
Email: [email protected]
Rampur Raza Library,
Rampur
Established by Nawab Faizullah Khan, a
remarkably gifed and far-sighted ruler, The
Rampur Raza Library is a rich storehouse of
50,000 books and 15,000 manuscripts in Arabic,
Urdu, Persian and Turkish, many of them
priceless. It also houses Mughal miniature
paintings from the sixteenth to eighteenth
century. The Library has the status of a National
Institution and functions under the Ministry of
Culture, Government of India. The Library has a
collection of 150 illustrated manuscripts and 11
Descriptive Catalogues in various languages and
subjects. The library is preparing a critical edition
of Tarikh-e-Baburi, a manuscript of immense
historical value. Tarikh-e-Mohammadi, another
important text, is also being transcribed from the
original for publication.
The MRC at Rampur Raza Library has been
functioning since August 2003. The MRC has so
far documented 43, 300 manuscripts of Urdu,
Arabic and Persian languages. It has covered
40 institutions and 100 private collections
covering 60 districts during Survey and has held
7 awareness campaigns.
Address:
Director
Rampur Raza Library
Hamid Manzil
Rampur244901
Utar Pradesh
Tel: 0595 2325045 Fax: 0595 2340548,
Email: [email protected]
Visweshvarananda Viswabandhu
Institute of Sanskrit and
Indological Studies
The Institute of Sanskrit and Indological
Studies, Hoshiarpur is an important manuscript
repository from the North - West zone of the
country. The collection of the Department is
distinctive, with 2,685 manuscripts in the north
Indian and south Indian languages and scripts
68 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
pertaining to diferent subjects such as the Vedas,
Upanishads, Puranas, astrology, astronomy,
and ayurveda among others. They are writen
on diferent materials like birch bark, palm leaf
and hand-made paper. Many old and important
manuscripts have already been edited and
published and some are in process of publication
by the Institute. The latest publication to come
out of the Institute was Asvalayana Srautasutra
in 3 volumes. One of the unique manuscripts
of the Institute is a manuscript (photocopy)
titled Sancha writen in Pavuchi script which is
presently not known to be available in any other
collection. This script is yet to be deciphered by
the scholars.
The MRC, started working in September 2003.
Out of the surveys conducted so far, information
has gleaned on 26000 manuscripts from diferent
collections in places such as Chandigarh,
Muktsar, Amritsar, Patiala, Ludhiana and
Hoshiarpur including some areas of Utaranchal
covering 60 institutions. The MRC has collected
100 manuscripts for their collection.
Address:
Prof. Raghbir Singh
Visweshvarananda Biswabandhu Institute of
Sanskrit and Indological Studies
Sadhu Ashram
Hoshiarpur146021 (Punjab)
Tel: 01882-275475, Fax: 01882-221002
Utaranchal Sanskrit Academy,
Haridwar
Established in December 2002 to promote the
Sanskrit language, the Utaranchal Sanskrit
Academy integrates the Sanskrit language
with new technology. It organises seminars,
exhibitions, and collects manuscripts from
private collections. There are Eighty-eight
Sanskrit colleges and schools working under this
Academy. It has a collection of 4,000 manuscripts.
The manuscripts found in the institutions and
private collections in the State cover a wide range
of subjects from Veda, Upanishad, Purana Itihasa,
Dharmashastra, Darshana, Kavya, Stotra and
several other subjects.
The MRC at Utaranchal Sanskrit Academy
has been working with the NMM since June
2005. With the help of 9 staf members the
institute has surveyed 125 private collections
and 20 institutions covering 6 districts. These
surveys resulted in the documentation of 5993
manuscripts.
Address:
Dr. Buddhadev Sharma
Secretary
Utaranchal Sanskrit Academy
Ranipur Jhal
Delhi Rashtriya Raj Marg
Haridwar249401
K. M. Institute of Hindi &
Linguistics
K. M. Institute of Hindi & Linguistics functions
under B. R. Ambedkar University, Agra. Formerly
known as the Agra University, the University
was renamed Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University,
in 1996. The University is privileged to have a
large collection of rare manuscript related to
literature, history, astronomy, astrology, religion
and philosophy. The collection also contains old
coins, old pictures and a map of Agra from the
time of Shah Jahan and other items of immense
historical value. The University is making every
possible efort for the careful preservation of
these treasures. The K. M. Institute of Hindi
& Linguistics established as early as 1953 is
actively involved in the preservation and study
of these manuscripts some of the outcome of this
study is the edited work on Sursagar Padmawat
Beesaldev Raso etc. There is a section of special
collections in the Central Library which includes
the Mahajan collection, the Srivastava collection
69 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
and the Bagchi Collection. The MRC since its
inception documented 1400 manuscripts with the
help of 2 scholars.
Address:
Prof. Hari Mohan
Director
Kanhaiyalal Maniklal Munsi Institute of Hindi
Language and Linguistics
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University
Paliwal Park (Agra-2)
Sampurnananda Sanskrit
Visvavidyalaya, Varanasi
Sampurnananda Sanskrit Visvavidyalaya,
established by Sir Arthur Venis, in 1791 is
located in Varanasi and is among the oldest
Sanskrit Universities in India. It is considered
a focal point for Sanskrit culture and studies in
India. The University has a valuable collection
of 1,25,000 manuscripts covering all the subjects
in Devanagari, Bengali and Sarada scripts. The
University has published valuable catalogues of
manuscripts. Among these, the older catalogue
comprises the manuscripts acquired in 1791
1950 and the new one covers those obtained
in 19511981. Both contain a large number of
extremely valuable manuscripts.
Sampurnananda Sanskrit Vishvavidyalaya
signed the MOU with the National Mission
for Manuscripts in May 2005. It has 8 scholars
working in 10 districts towards the collection and
preservation of manuscripts. The Resource Centre
has documented 38, 270 manuscripts from 16
institutions and 13 private collections.
Address:
Prof. Gangadhara Panda
Project Coordinator
Sampurnananda Sanskrit Visvavidyalaya
Varanasi221001 (UP)
Tel: 0542 2205122
Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga
Sanskrit University,
Darbhanga
Darbhanga Sanskrit University was established in
1961, with Mahamhopadhyay Dr. Umesh Misra,
the eminent scholar, as the frst Vice Chancellor.
Among the collections of the University are
manuscripts on epics, philosophy, vyakarana,
dharmashastra, agama, tantra etc. The University
has an exceptional collection of nearly 5,562 rare
manuscripts including 6 illustrated manuscripts
of the Ramayana, Gitagovinda, Srimadbhagavata
and Durga Saptasati etc. The few manuscripts
of Vidyapati, Mahesh Thakur composed in their
own scripts are among the proud possession of
the University.
Darbhanga Sanskrit University started
functioning as a MRC in September 2003.
Known across Bihar for the rich manuscripts in
Sanskrit, this MRC has documented in various
collections and surveyed Mithila and Jharkhand
areas. Seven scholars have so far documented
10,403 manuscripts. The MRC has covered 12
institutions and 114 individual collections in 3
districts.
Address:
Prof. Kulananda Jha
Pro-Vice Chancellor
Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University
Kameshwar Nagaram
Darbhanga846004
Bihar
Tele-fax: 06272 222608/222138
Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public
Library, Patna
One of the National Libraries of India, Khuda
Bakhsh Oriental Public Library was established
in 1891 by Khuda Bakhsh Khan out of his
70 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
personal collection of a few manuscripts. It
acquired the status of an Institution of National
Importance by an Act of Parliament in 1969.
The Library is recognized the world over for its
rich collection of invaluable manuscripts, rare
printed books, many miniatures and paintings
of Hindu pantheon and original paintings of
Mughal, Rajput, Turkish and Iranian schools
It has special manuscripts like an inch-wide
Quran. It also contains the only books rescued
from the plunder of the University of Cordoba
in Spain. There are some other rare manuscripts
in the collection at Khuda Bakhsh, including
the Jehangir-Nama, Shah-Namah, Al-Quran,
Tarikh-i-Khandan-i-Timuriya and Kitab-ul-
Hashaishh. There are many examples of Persian
calligraphy and rare coins. Many expensive
and rare manuscripts have come from places
like Alexandria, Cairo, Damascus, Beirut,
Arabia, etc. There are facilities for research
work concerning the Muslim period in Oriental
studies. The Institution has published 39
volumes of Descriptive Catalogues covering
300 illustrated manuscripts. The Khuda Bakhsh
MRC concentrates mainly on documenting
Urdu, Arabic, and Persian manuscripts.
The MRC, started in September 2003 has
collected information on 27820 manuscripts
with electronic data. The 20 publicity campaigns
organised by the Centre have yielded rich
results in terms of creating awareness in the
people in preserving their manuscripts and in
sharing the information.
Address:
Dr. Imtiaz Ahmed
Director
Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library
Ashok Rajpath
Patna800 004
Bihar
Tel: 0612 2300209 Fax: 0612 2300209
Email: [email protected]
Nava Nalanda Mahavihara,
Nalanda, Bihar
Drawing inspiration from Dr. Rajendra Prasad,
the frst President of India, to develop a centre
of excellence for Pali and Buddhist studies along
the lines of the ancient Nalanda Mahavihara,
Nava Nalanda Mahavihara was established in
1951 by the Government of Bihar. Sri Bhikkhu
Jagdish Kashyap was the Founder-Director
of the Institute. The present campus of the
Mahavihara is situated on the southern bank
of the historical lake, Indrapuskarani. Close
to the northern bank of the lake lie the ruins
of the ancient University of Nalanda. In 1994,
Mahavihara was taken over by the Department
of Culture, Government of India. Now it is
functioning as a registered society under the
Society Registration Act, XXI of 1960.
Presently, the Mahavihara ofers a one-year
certifcate course in Pali and a two-year diploma
in course in Pali, Tibetan, Sanskrit, Hindi and
English. The Mahavihara is af liated with
Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University
and Magadh University, Bodh Gaya, for several
71 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
of its courses such as Pali, philosophy, ancient
Indian and Asian studies etc. Courses leading to
PhD degree are also ofered in conjunction with
Magadh University.
Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, Nalanda signed
an MOU with the Mission in June 2005. With the
help of 2 scholars it has documented 18405 data
sheets from 3 districts. The MRC has covered 30
private collections and 11 institutions.
Address:
Dr. D. Lama
Director
Nalanda803111
Bihar
Tel: 0611 2281897, Fax: 0611 281820
Krishna Kanta Handiqui Library,
Gauhati University,
Guwahati
In 1982 the Guwahati University Library was
renamed as Krishna Kanta Handiqui Library
afer its frst Vice Chancellor. Established
primarily to enhance and support the diferent
research programs carried out by the University,
The Guwahati University Library started its
functioning in 1948. The Library has acquired
more than 4,500 manuscripts on diferent
subjects including 5 illustrated manuscripts
of the Ramayana, Bhagwata and Lavakusha
Yuddha among others. The collection of
manuscripts in the repository is writen mostly
in agaru bark. They also have immense historic
and cultural value as representing the region of
their origin.
The MRC at Krishna Kanta Handiqui
Library, Guwahati University, has been
functioning since August 2003. The MRC has
so far documented 24989 manuscripts from
the 25 districts of Assam. It has conducted 96
awareness campaigns and over 1324 institutions
and private collections have been surveyed. The
sanchipat, tulapat are unique to this area as a
medium of composition.
Address:
Shri Narendra Lakhar
Librarian
Krishna Kanta Handiqui Library
Guwahati University
Gopinath Bardolai Nagar
Guwahati 781014
Assam
Tel: 0361 2570529/2674438, Fax: 0361 2570133
Email: [email protected]
Manipur State Archives
The practice of maintaining records had been
in vogue with the advent of art of writing in
Manipur. The ofcial records were maintained in
the royal court. Individuals also used to maintain
private records. The Manipur State Archive was
established in March, 1982, under the Directorate
of Social Welfare, Arts & Culture, Government
of Manipur. The aims and objects of the State
Archives is to concentrate in a single repository
all the non-current records both confdential and
non-confdential as well as the private records.
The Manipur State Archives accessioned the
records under the following categories i.e. Public
Records, Private Records, Historical Manuscripts
both in Archaic Meitei & Bengali Scripts and rare
books of the Library.
In its valuable collection the Manipur State
Archive also has the Parawanas and orders of
the Manipur Maharaja & the Political Agent
in Manipur from the year, 1891 to 1947 and
the Diaries of the Manipur Political Agents
and Assistant Political Agent (18861947). The
State Archives collected and preserved many
valuable historical manuscripts in Archaic
Manipuri and few manuscripts of Bengali
scripts.
72 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
MRC at the Manipur State Archives conducted
90 awareness campaigns and 120 surveys
of 70 private collections and 50 institions
which resulted in the documentation of 59,500
manuscripts from which 36,602 manuscripts have
prepared electronic data. The MRC has collected
500 manuscripts during survey period. The MRC
has took as a major part of survey.
Address:
Dr. K. H. Sarojini Devi
Director
Manipur State Archives
Washinglom Likoi,
Imphal795 001
Manipur
Tel/Fax: 0385-2222813/M: 09436021755
Orissa State Museum,
Bhubaneswar
The collection of the Orissa State Museum is
rich and focuses on the arts of the region. The
precious palm leaf manuscripts of the Museum
deserve a special mention. About 37,273 titles
have been collected out of which 52 manuscripts
have been published. It has manuscripts made of
palm leaf, bamboo leaf, hand-made paper, ivory,
bhurja bark and kumbhi bark. Rare garland-
shaped, fan-shaped, fsh-shaped, sword-shaped,
rat- and parrot-shaped varieties of manuscripts
and diferent types of stylus are available here.
Four hundred illustrated manuscripts of coloured
and monochrome variety are also found.
Important manuscripts of Gitagovinda of Kali
Charan Patnaik, Ushaharana, Ushavilasa etc, and
diferent varieties of cover design of palm-leaf
manuscripts are also available in the collection.
The MRC at Orissa State Museum,
Bhubaneswar has been functioning since August
2003. Ever since its inception, the MRC has been
very active in survey and documentation work.
The MRC has documented 2, 03,817 manuscripts
in 138 institutions and 174 private collections. The
MRC has conducted 52 awareness campaingns.
The OSM, Bhubaneswar has donated about 250
manuscripts to the NMM.
Address:
C.B. Patel
Superintendent
Orissa State Museum
Museum Building, Bhubaneshwar (Orissa)
Tele-fax: 0674 2431597
Email: [email protected]
SARASVATI, Bhadrak
Situated at the eastern part of Orissa at Sarasvati
Vihar, Bhadrak, SARASVATI is one of the leading
institutes for Oriental Studies and Research in the
State dedicated to the cause of promoting Bharatiya
Vidya (Indian Indigenous Science and Technology).
Since its inception it has focused on training in
Manuscriptology and has so far organised 10
orientation courses on Manuscriptology building
a team of more that 400 scholars in this feld in
Orissa, Assam and West Bengal.
The MRC at SARASVATI has been working
with the Mission since May 2005. It has managed
to document 1,10, 000 data so far and prepared
98,000 electronic data. The manuscripts
documented by the MRC are mostly writen in
Oriya and Devanagari scripts covering a wide
range of subjects like Purana, Dharmashastra,
Karmakanda, Ayurveda, Tantra and many other
subjects. The MRC has covered 6000 private
collections and 192 institutions in 14 districts.
Address:
Sadananda Dikshita
Hon. Director
SARASVATI
Sarasvati Vihar, Barpada
Bhadrak756113 (Orissa)
Tel: 06784 261690
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Sri D. K. Jain Oriental Research
Institute, Arrah, Bihar
The Jain Sidhanta Bhawan beter known as
the Central Jain Oriental Library, Arrah was
found in 1903 by Sri Devakumar Jain, a great
scholar and philanthropist. The Library has a
valuable collection of manuscripts from all over
the world. There are 3,179 palm leaf manuscripts,
3,500 paper manuscripts which are at least 500
years old. Most prominent among the manuscript
collection are the illustrated Jain Ramayana and
the Bhaktamira. There are nearly 200 paintings
in Jain Ramayana alone in excellent Mogul and
Rajput styles.
Besides the manuscripts, the library has 9,000
published books on religion, philosophy, history,
and literature in nearly all the Indian and some
foreign languages. There is also a collection of
old paintings, pieces of art and old coins. Among
the paintings on mythological subjects, treatment
of the 16 dreams of Chandragupta, the 16
Tirthankars and Pawapuri temple stand out.
The MRC at the Institute has been functioning
since May 2005. Since then the MRC is engaged
in documenting manuscripts and producing
electronic data with the help of 8 scholars and 6
ofcial staf in 15 districts. Manuscripts found in
these districts are mostly writen in Devanagari,
Urdu, Maithili, and Bengali covering wide
range of subjects like Veda, Vedanta, Darshana,
Karmakanda and many other such subjects.
The MRC has so far documented 115464
manuscripts dataand prepared 94650
electronic data. It has also documented 56,410
Jain manuscripts under the Register of Jain
Manuscripts scheme which data is integrated
with the National Electronic Database. The MRC
has covered 22 districts.
74 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Address:
Dr. Ajay Kumar Jain
Sri D. K. Jain Oriental Research Institute
Devashram, Mahadeva Road (Arrah)
Bihar 802301
And
809, Ashiana Plaza
Budha Marg
Patna800001 (Bihar)
Tel: 0612 2352285
Calcuta University Manuscript
Library, Kolkata
The manuscript section of Calcuta University,
Kolkata, has been in existence right from the
inception of the University in 1857. In 1990,
the Manuscript Library of Calcuta University
became a full-fedged unit of the University
under the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic). The
Library has a collection of more than 42,000
manuscripts including quite a few on palm-
leaves, including 20,000 in Sanskrit, 12,000 in
Tibetan and Bengali and also several Persian
and Arabic manuscripts. They are in diferent
languages such as Sanskrit, Tibetan, Bangla,
Oriya, Maithili, Pali, Arabic and Persian, and
in scripts like Bengali, Oriya, Gaudi, Newari,
Malayalam and Maithili. Some manuscripts are
wrought in gold and silver letering.
The MRC at Calcuta University was started in
August 2003. The MRC has conducted surveys
in Government and Government-sponsored
libraries, institutional libraries, private libraries
and personal collections in West Bengal.
The MRC has documented 79394 manuscripts
covering all districts of West Bengal so far
and also prepared a list of manuscripts for
digitization. It has also taken initiative in
providing conservation support to several
collections of manuscripts through applying
indigenous methods for conservation at the time
of documentation. The MRC has documented in
75 repositories.
The MRC has also been involved in conducting
the National Survey for manuscripts in19 districts
of West Bengal.
Address:
Prof. Ratna Basu
In-charge
Manuscript Library
Hardinge Building, 1
st
Floor
87/1, College Street, Senate House
University of Calcuta
Kolkata700073
West Bengal
Tele-fax: 033 22413763,/22413222
Gurucharan College, Silchar,
Assam
Gurucharan College, Silchar was established in
1935. The MRC at Gurucharan College, Silchar
has been functioning since October 2005. The
MRC has so far conducted 199 surveys covering
31 institutions and 168 individual collections in 7
districts. It has documented 3,032 manuscripts in
diferent subjects like Ayurveda, Tantra/Mantra,
Jyotisha, Pujavidhi etc, out of which most are
found to be writen in Archaic Bengali script.
Address:
Shri Utpal Das
Project Coordinator
B. C. Gupta Memorial Library
G. C. College
College Road
Silchar788004
Assam
Tel: 03842 264257
Anandashram Sanstha
The Anandashram Sanstha is one of the Premier
Institutes in Pune. It was founded by Late
75 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Mahadeo Chiaji Apte, a leading advocate of
Mumbai High-court, in Pune in the year 1888. He
bequeathed all his property, including valuable
collection of Manuscripts, to the Institute. It was
registered as a public charitable Trust in 1954.
The Institute is known to scholars of
Sanskrit as well as Indology all over the world
as a publishing house. Since its inception the
Institute has published 144 titles in 188 volumes
extending over 61000 pages, almost all of them
being the editions of the Mss posssessed by the
Institute. Some of the valuable publications of
the Institute are;
Mimamsadarshana
Krishnayajurvediya-taitiriyasamhita
Aitareyebrahmana
Aitareya-Aranyaka
Taitiriyabrahmana
Taitiriya-Aranyaka
Vayupurana
Matsyapurana
Kamandakiyanitishastra
The Institute has a collection of over 10,000
manuscripts classifed under 26 diferent
subject-heads ranging from poetry and poetics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
to architecture and music. The Bhandarkar
Oriental Research Institute has completed the
documentation of these Mss for NMM.
Anandashram has recently opened its website
www.anandashramsanstha.org.
The Anandashram Sanstha began working
as an MRC from 27 January 2006. Since then the
Sanstha has conducted one awareness campaigns
and has documented and prepared electronic
data 40,552 manuscripts in the Missions electronic
database. The Instiute has covered three
institutions and ten private collections.
Address:
Prof. Saroja Bhate
Director
Anandashram Sanstha
22, Budhwar Peth
Pune411002
Tel: 020 24226854 (R), 020 24457119 (O)
Bhandarkar Oriental Research
Institute, Pune
Founded in 1917, in memory of Ramakrishna
Gopal Bhandarkar, the distinguished scholar,
literateur and one of the
pioneers of scientifc Indology in
India, the Bhandarkar Oriental
Research Institute has nearly
20,000 manuscripts, covering
a wide variety of subjects like
religion, languages, Vedic
literature, grammar, music,
drama, purana, stotras, tantra,
medicine and philosophical
systems. The Archives contains
copies of Farsi translation of
the Gita and Yogavasishtha,
made by Dara Shikoh 340 years
ago, a copy of Vishnu Purana
translated into Persian by a
76 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Kashmiri Pundit, a manuscript relating to horse-
breeding writen by Qazi Hasan Ifakhan 390
years ago, and an original manuscript bearing the
seal of the royal library of Emperor Jehangir.
Thirtyfve volumes of Descriptive Catalogue
(covering over 12,000 manuscripts from the
Government Manuscripts Library) have been
published so far. Microflming of about over a
million folios (including those of about 4,000
un-catalogued manuscripts) was carried out at
the Institute, under the auspices of the Indira
Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi, and
completed recently.
The MRC at Bhandarkar Oriental Research
Institute has been functioning since September
2003. The MRC has so far documented 50,000
manuscripts and prepared eletronic data
46308 manuscripts for the Manus Granthavali.
The MRC has covered 123 institutions and 30
individual collections through three scholars
Address:
Prof. Saroja Bhate
Hony. Secretary
Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
Deccan Gymkhana
Pune 411037
Maharashtra
Tel: 020 25656932 Fax: 020 25661362
Email: [email protected]
Institute for Oriental Studies
(Shiva Shakti), Thane
The Institute was established in 1980 for the
promotion of Indian culture, history, study of
manuscripts and Sanskrit language through
Organising seminars, workshops, exhibitions
and discussions. The library possesses about
3,300 Sanskrit manuscripts and 26,000 volumes of
printed books.
The MRC at Institute of Oriental Studies
has been functioning since May 2005. It has
documented 1,070 manuscripts from their own
collection in the prescribed data form of the
Mission.
Address:
Dr. V. V. Bedekar
President
Dr. Bedekars Hospital
Maharsi Karve Road
Naupara, Thane-West
PIN400000
Maharashtra
Tel: 022 25422392
Kavikulaguru Kalidasa Sanskrit
University, Ramtek
The Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University
is unique in academic nature from all the other
Sanskrit Universities in India. Other Sanskrit
Universities traditionally cater to the learning
of Veda, Vedanta, Vyakarana, Nyaya, Mimamsa
Dharmashastra and Sahitya in Sanskrit.
Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University has
an innovative academic program and a syllabus
incorporating modern subjects and traditional
Sanskrit. On the one hand the courses emphasize a
modern approach, and on the other hand they strive
to preserve traditional principles. All of the courses
are oriented in this way with special emphasis being
placed on the science and technology of ancient
India as preserved in the Sanskrit texts.
The Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University
is fully equipped academically with 40 innovative
and modern courses. It is a leading Sanskrit
university among the 9 Sanskrit universities
in India. It has 50 afliated institutions in the
Maharashtra State, and 30 outside Maharashtra
from Gujarat to West Bengal, and from Kerala to
Haryana.
77 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
The realization of the immense richness and
beauty of Sanskrit as a language and a mode
of communication of ideas has prompted
Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University to
launch a program for foreigners in Ayurveda, to
preserve this ancient Vedic knowledge.
The Kavikulaguru Kalidasa Sanskrit
University became at MRC of the Mission in
November 2004. The MRC has documented
12,000 data on manuscripts covering Vidarbha
and Marathwada region of Maharashtra. Mostly
the manuscripts cover on Vrata, Vedic literature,
Purana and other Shastras.
Address:
Prof. Harshada Dave
Vice Chancellor
Kavikulaguru Kalidasa Sanskrit University
Baghla Bhawan, Sitalwadi
Manda Road,
Ramtek 441106 (Maharashtra)
Tel: 0711 455549/0712 531298/0712 560992
Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Institute of
Indology, Ahmedabad
Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Institute of Indology, one
of the largest treasure houses of manuscripts
relating to Jainism was established by Muni Shri
Punyaviayji and Shri Kasturbhai Lalbhai. The
L.D. Institute has a library consisting of nearly
45,000 printed books nearly 75,000 manuscripts
including 500 illustrated manuscripts, covering
a wide range of subjects, like the Vedas, agamas,
Buddhist religion, tantra, systems of Indian
philosophy, and poetics etc. The institution
has published 7 volumes of tabular catalogues,
representing several languages like Sanskrit,
Prakrit, Apabhramsa, Old Gujarati, Hindi and
Rajasthani.
The MRC started in September 2003, has
so far catalogued 107609 electronic data for the
Manus Granthavali database. It has covered
104 institutions, 27 private collections covering
18 districts during the survey and has held 10
awareness programs for sensitizing the people on
the preservation of manuscripts.
Address:
Dr. Jitendra B. Shah
Director
Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Institute of Indology
Navarangpur
Near Gujarat University
Ahmedabad 380 009
Gujarat
Tel: 079 6302463
Email: [email protected]
Rajasthan Oriental Research
Institute, Jodhpur
With a view to explore, collect, preserve, edit and
publish the ancient literature in Sanskrit, Prakrit,
Apabhramsa and Hindi-Rajasthani available
in Rajasthan and adjacent areas, the Rajasthan
Oriental Research Institute an initiative of the
Government of Rajasthan, was established as the
Sanskrit Mandal in 1950 and extended as a full-
fedged department in 1954.
It has a large reference library comprising of
26,713 rare titles and 6,000 periodicals. It has 7
branch repositories at Bikaner, Jaipur, Bharatpur,
Kota, Chitorgarh, Udaipur and Alwar. It has a
collection of 119,830 manuscripts including 1,011
illustrated manuscripts on diferent subjects like
the Veda, Dharmashastra, Itihasa, Purana, Tantra,
Mantra, Darshana, Jyotisha and Ayurveda.
The Institute has published 130 Descriptive
Catalogues and published critical editions of
more than 200 important texts.
The rich manuscript collection of the
Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute include
miniature versions with Pala, Western Indian,
78 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Rajput, Kangra and Jammu and Kashmir schools
of painting on palm leaf, birch-bark, paper,
wood and cloth. There are excellent calligraphy
texts like Dvipatha, Tripatha and Panchpatha.
Some unique specimens are Arsha-Ramayana,
Gita Govinda (Mewar School), illuminated
Kalpasutra of VS 1485, Buddhist manuscript Arya
Mahavidya, and an illustrated Bhagavata among
others. An authenticated manuscript of Prithviraj
Raso from Dharnoj village of Gujrat and a
number of manuscripts writen profusely in gold
ink are also worth mentioning.
The MRC at the Rajasthan Oriental Research
Institute started functioning in September 2003.
With the active participation of the afliate
branches spread across Rajasthan, the MRC
has been able to enrich the National Electronic
Database by producing electronic data for
1,50,000 manuscripts. The Institute explored 9
districts including Dholpur, Alwar, Jaipur, Kota
and Bikaner and managed to cover 22 institutions
and 140 private collections during survey. The
9 awareness campaigns conducted by the MRC
have unearthed information on fresh data
concerning manuscripts.
Address:
Dr. Shyamsingh Rajpurohit
R. A. S.
Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute
P.W.D Road
Jodhpur 342011
Rajasthan
Tel: 0291 2430244
Kunda Kunda Jnanapitha,
Indore
Kunda Kunda Jnanapitha, Indore was
established by Shri Deokumarsinghji Kasliwal
in 1987 under Digambara Jaina Udasina Ashram
Trust, Indore. The main objective of the Institute
is to promote the scientifc study of Jainism
focusing on the history and archaeology of
Jaina religion. The Institute was recognized as
a Ph.D. research centre by Devi Ahilya Vishwa
Vidyalaya, (University) Indore in the following
5 subjects i.e. Ancient Indian Mathematics and
History of Mathematics, Environment and
Ecological Sciences, Prakrit, Pali, Apabhramsha
and other oriental languages, Comparative
Religion, Ancient Indian History, Cultural
and Archaeology. Kunda Kunda Jnanapitha
Pustakalya has a collection of 12,500 printed
books and 350 periodicals for researchers.
Since 1999 it has catalogued 58,766 of Jain
manuscripts in 479 Jain Bhandaras under the
Register of Jain Manuscripts project. That
data has been integrated with the Missions
database.
The MRC at Kunda Kunda Jnanapitha, Indore
has been associated with the Mission since May
2005. The MRC has surveyed 90 institutions and
350 private collections in 55 districts and has also
organised various awareness programmes in
diferent places. The MRC has documented 58,766
data and 19,225 in electronic form.
Address:
Dr. Anupam Jain
Secretary
584, M.G. Road
Tukoganj, Indore 452001
Scindia Oriental Research
Institute, Vikram University,
Ujjain
Scindia Oriental Research Institute of the Vikram
University, Ujjain was established in 1957. Apart
from the Scindia Oriental Research Institute, the
University also has an archaeological museum
and an art gallery, which are major repositories of
heritage items and artifacts.
79 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
The manuscript wealth in Scindia Oriental
Research Institute is of all languages, Sanskrit
being the most predominant. The Scindia
Oriental Institute has a rare collection of 18,000
manuscripts in paper, old palm leaf and bark leaf
(bhurja patra). The subjects are wide-ranging,
from ancient philosophy, sciences, religion,
language, grammar and the arts. There are some
rare manuscripts of heritage value such as the
illustrated manuscript of the Srimad-Bhagavatam
set in gold and silver, illustrated manuscripts
exemplifying the old Rajput and Mughal style
paintings, among others.
The Manuscript Resource Centre at Scindia
Oriental Research Institute, Vikram University,
Ujjain, started functioning in September 2003.
The MRC has conducted extensive survey
and documentation in the state of Madhya
Pradesh and documented 46,000 and prepared
electronic data 38,840 manuscripts which have
been integrated into the Manus Granthavali
sofware of the Mission. The MRC as covered 90
institutions and 34 private collections.
Address:
Balkrishna Sharma
Director
Scindia Oriental Research Institute
Vikram University
Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
Tel: 0734 2515400
Fax: 0734 2514276
Email: [email protected]
80 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
81 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Our Partners
Manuscript Conservation
Centres
Organisation of the MCCs
Each MCC has a team of trained conservators
and specialists in the feld of manuscript
conservation
The activities of each MCC are administered
and coordinated by a Project Coordinator
from the existing staf of the Institution
Each MCC has a laboratory with at least
basic facilities to undertake manuscript
conservation
Each MCC assists a number of institutions in
varying degrees to provide basic preventive
conservation care for their manuscript
collections
MCCs provide training in preventive and
curative conservation to custodians of
manuscripts all over the country
MCCs conduct outreach campaigns to promote
knowledge of basic conservation of manuscripts
The skills of the conservators working for
MCCs are regularly updated with workshops
and training sessions
Performance Summary
of the MCCs
Basic conservation laboratories are established
in all MCCs
Core team of staf in each MCC created from
trained staf in varied levels of expertise
Systematic increase in the preventive
conservation drives of the MCCs

Outreach programmes expanded to cover

more institutions in providing vital care and
understanding of conservation issues
MCCs identifed on the basis of their
infrastructure, past performance and
expertise to provide curative assistance to
collections and institutions
Central Institute of Buddhist
Studies, Leh
The Central Institute of Buddhist Studies has
been working as the nodal resource centre for
Buddhism in the local area of Leh for several
years. Formerly known as the School of Buddhist
Philosophy, this institute was established in 1959.
Its main objective is to develop a comprehensive
knowledge of Buddhism. This includes the study
of ancient shastras, culture, philosophy, history
and languages such as Hindi, Sanskrit, English,
Tibetan and Pali. It also preserves and publishes
rare Buddhist manuscripts and facilitates
research on Buddhism. The Institute is dedicated
to instilling the wisdom of Buddhist thought,
literature, and arts in young students.
To conserve these manuscripts a Manuscript
Conservation Centre (MCC) was established
at CIBS. A conservation laboratory with basic
infrastructure and equipment was set up by the
Central Team for conservation at the Mission
which visited CIBS. More than 3592 folios have
undergone preventive conservation along with
curative conservation of 3000 manuscripts.

82 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010

Address:
Wangchuk Dorjee Negi
Director
Central Institute of Buddhist Studies
Choglamsar
Leh (Laddak)194001
Tele-Fax: 01982-264391
Mr. Tsering Muthup (AO) 09419177543
Email: [email protected]
Department of Language and
Culture, Shimla
Among the newest MCCs, this Centre signed
the MOU with Mission on 27 May 2005.
They have established a well-equipped
laboratory. The Centre is taking up preventive
conservation work in the remote regions of
Himachal Pradesh and has conducted 9 storage
re-organisations and preventive conservation
has been done on 99869 folios covering 29
institutions. Curative conservation of 26744
folios was also carried out.
Address:
Dr. Hari Chauhan
Director
Department of Language and Culture
Block No. 395, SDA Complex
Kasumputy
Shimla171009
Tel: 0177 2626614
Utaranchal Institute for
Conservation Research and
Training, Nainital
The MCC at the Utaranchal Institute for
Conservation Research and Training, Nainital
has signed the MOU with the Mission on 19 July
2005. A conservation lab with basic facilities has
been established. Two persons are appointed
and basic training has been given. The Centre is
being developed as a training institute utilizing
the basic strength of this Centre. The Centre
is taking up preventive conservation work in
5 institutions and has conducted preventive
conservation of 9500 folios.
Address:
Anupam Sah
Director
Utaranchal Institute for Conservation Research
and Training
Markandey House (near HMT Main Gate),
Rani Bagh, District Nainital263 126
Utaranchal
Tel: 05946-244242 Fax: 05946-244242.
Email: [email protected]
The Vrindavan Research Institute
Founded in November, 1968 by philanthropist
scholar, Dr. R. D. Gupta the Vrindhavan Research
Institute was inaugurated by Dr. Karan Singh,
the then Union Minister of Tourism and Civil
Aviation. The Institute is accorded the status of a
Museum of Manuscripts and Archival Material
by the Museums Association of India. It has
thus grown into a centre devoted to the cause of
conservation and publication of Indian culture.
The primary aim of the Institute is to collect,
preserve and study the manuscripts, archival
material, and objects of art and culture of India
in general and of the Braj region in particular.
The Institute has microflmed thousands of
manuscripts and historical temple documents
from some private collections, which are
extremely useful for the study of the history
and culture of the region. Its collection now
contains about 30,000 manuscripts in Sanskrit,
Hindi, Bengali and other Indian languages, and
hundreds of archival documents and temple
records shedding light on the socio-economic,
religious and cultural life of medieval India.
VRI has been associated with the Mission as
an MCC since September 2003. It has organised
4 awareness campaigns and several public
83 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
outreach campaigns. It has already identifed 18
Manuscript Conservation Partner Centres and
has conducted preventive conservation activities
on 180382 folios. It has also conducted curative
conservation on 6173 folios.
Address:
Dr. P. Goswami
Coordinator
Vrindavan Research Institute
Raman Reti Marg
Vrindavan281121
Tel: 0565 2540628
Fax: 2540576
Email: [email protected]
Nagarjuna Buddhist Foundation,
Gorakhpur
The MOU with Nagarjuna Buddhist Foundation
was signed on 18 May 2005. A thorough survey of
manuscripts in and around the city of Gorakhpur
has been done by the MCC and a large number
of collection/individuals and organisations had
been spoted for conservation activity. They are
presently working on the conservation of their
own manuscript collection and have conducted
preventive conservation activities on 68764 folios
covering 5 institutions.
Address:
Karunesh Shukla
Nagarjuna Buddhist Foundation,
18, Andhiari Bagh, Gorakhpur273001
Phone: 0551 2242258/2249914
Indian Conservation Institute,
Lucknow
The Indian Conservation Institute was
established in 1985 as INTACHs frst
conservation laboratory. It has been associated
with the Mission as an MCC since September
2003. It has organised10 workshops and a
number of outreach campaigns. The Centre
has also successfully undertaken curative
conservation of 59487 folios in various
collections covering 20 institutions. The
Centre also provides vital assistance to the
Mission on account of its large resource pool
of trained personnel in several areas related to
conservation and training.
84 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Tirupati517502
Andhra Pradesh
Tel: 0877 2249666(ext) 291 Fax: 0877 2226614
Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad
The faMOUs Salar Jung Museum houses one of
the fnest collections of art objects anywhere in
the world. The Museum began its association
with the Mission as an MCC in October 2003
for the conservation of manuscripts in Andhra
Pradesh. They provided preventive and
curative conservation treatment to 19 institutes
covering both, palm leaf and paper manuscripts.
The Centre has also successfully undertaken
curative conservation of 1, 14,264 folios along
with preventive consetrvation of 49268 folios in
various collections.
Address:
Dr. C. P. Unihal
Director
Salarjung Museum
Salarjung Marg
Hyderabad500002
Tel: 040 24523211/301
Fax: 040 24572558
Email: [email protected]
INTACH Chitrakala Parishath Art
Conservation Centre, Bangalore
The INTACH Chitrakala Parishath Art
Conservation Centre MCC began functioning
from 23 September 2003. The MCC has conducted
preventive conservation of 5663 manuscripts in
several Institutes and also provided emergency
treatment for 23501 manuscripts. It has a well-
equipped laboratory with well-trained conservators
in preventive and curative conservation.
Address:
Miss. Madhuranai
Director
INTACH Chitrakala Parishath Art Conservation
Address:
Dr. Mamta Misra
Conservator
Indian Council of Conservation Institutes
HIG-44, Sector E, Aliganj Scheme
Lucknow226024
Tel: 0522 2377814/2376858
Fax: 0522 233432 Email: [email protected]
Oriental Research Institute,
Sri Venkateswara University,
Tirupati
Set up with the objectives of furthering
Indological research and propagating Indian
culture and heritage, The Oriental Research
Institute in Sri Venkateswara University,
Tirupati was established by Tirumala Tirupati
Devasthanam in 1939. It was handed over to Sri
Venkateswara University in 1956.
The Institute has a rich collection of 50,000
palm-leaf and paper manuscripts and 75,000
rare printed books in its library. The Institute
has published 1 tabular alphabetical catalogue
covering all the subjects. The manuscripts in the
collection cover a wide range from philosophy,
religion, epic, language, grammar to poetics and
horoscopy.
The MOU with Oriental Research Institute,
Sri Venkateswara University was signed on 18
May 2005. They have provided good storage
for their collection. The preventive and curative
conservation began as soon as the laboratory
was set up. The Centre has also successfully
undertaken curative conservation of 5067 folios in
various collections covering 10 institutions.
Address:
V. Venkataramana Reddy
In-charge Director
Oriental Research Institute
Venkateswara University
85 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Centre
Kumara Krupa Road
Bangalore560 001
Tel: 080 2250418 Fax: 080 226 3424
Email: [email protected]
Government Museum,
Chennai
The Government Museum began its
collaboration with the Mission as an MCC,
in August 2004. Apart from the existing
laboratory facilities, the MCC was equipped
with additional facilities and more staf
was appointed. It has conducted preventive
conservation on 766126 folios of palm leaf
manuscripts and curative conservation of 7402
folios of palm leaf manuscripts were given
curative conservation treatment.
Address:
V. Jeyaraj
Government Museum
Egmore
Chennai600008
Tel: 044 28193238
Email: [email protected]
Karnataka State Archives,
Bangalore
The MOU was signed with Karnataka State
Archives in August 2004. They have a full-
fedged conservation laboratory. They have
extended their assistance in preventive
conservation of 65255 folios and curative
conservation activities to 20 institutions
and have also conducted 10 workshops on
conservation.
86 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Address:
Mrs. Usha Suresh
Director, Room No 9
Ground Floor, Vidhan Sabha
Karnataka State Archives
Bangalore 1
Tel: 22254465/Fax. 2235257
Email: [email protected]
Website: htp://kannadasiri.kar.nic.in/archives
Tanjore Maharaja Serfojis
Saraswati Mahal Library,
Thanjavur
Built up by the successive dynasties of Nayaks
and Marathas of Thanjavur, The Tanjore
Maharaja Serfojis Saraswati Mahal Library
is perhaps one among the few medieval
libraries that exists in the world. The Library
contains very rare and valuable collection of
manuscripts, books, maps and painting on
all aspects of arts, culture and literature. The
Library has a rich collection of manuscripts
numbering about 59,000 in Sanskrit, Tamil,
Marathi and Telugu including several
illustrated manuscripts, which refect the
history and culture of South India. A total
number of 24,432 titles are catalogued and
in active use. The scripts used for Sanskrit
language are Grantha, Devanagari, Telugu
and Malayalam, Kannada and Oriya. Fourteen
volumes of Descriptive Catalogues have been
published by the Library so far.
An MCC was established at library, in October
2003. The Library employs several indigenous
methods of conservation and manuscript
storage. This MCC in collaboration with Tamil
Nadu Government Museum has conducted 2
workshops and publicity programmes. The MCC
has conducted preventive conservation activities
on both palm leaf and paper manuscripts
covering 10 institutions.
Address:
P. Perumal
Project Coordinator
Thanjavur Maharaja Serfojis Saraswati Mahal
Library
Thanjavur613009
Tamil Nadu
Tel: 04362 234107/230206,
Fax: 04362 233568/230857
Mural Painting Conservation
Research and Training Centre,
Trippunithura Palace, Cochin
The Mural Painting Conservation Research
and Training Centre, Trippunithura, Cochin
Palace is a repository of art objects, paintings
and historical data. The Centre began
collaborating with the Mission in July 2004.
With a staf of fve, the Centre has identifed
19 institutions and private collections for
preventive conservation and carried preventive
conservation activities on 837239 folios of paper
manuscripts.
Address:
Arvind Kumar
INTACH- Ernakulam
Hill Palace Museum Premises
Trippunithura, Ernakulam682 301
Kerala
Tel: 09447451486 Fax: 0484 2780202
Email: [email protected]
Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public
Library, Patna
One of the National Libraries of India the Khuda
Bakhsh Oriental Public Library was established in
1891 by Khuda Bakhsh Khan out of his personal
collection of a few manuscripts. It acquired the
status of an Institution of National Importance
by an Act of Parliament in 1969.
87 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
The Library is recognized the world over for its
rich collection of invaluable manuscripts, rare
printed books, many miniatures and paintings
of Hindu pantheon and original paintings of
Mughal, Rajput, Turkish and Iranian schools It
has special manuscripts like an inch-wide Quran.
It also contains the only books rescued from the
plunder of the University of Cordoba in Spain.
There are some other rare manuscripts
in the collection at Khuda Bakhsh, including
the Jehangir-Nama, Shah-Namah, Al-Quran,
Tarikh-i-Khandan-i-Timuriya and Kitab-ul-
Hashaishh. There are many examples of Persian
calligraphy and rare coins. Many expensive
and rare manuscripts have come from places
like Alexandria, Cairo, Damascus, Beirut,
Arabia, etc. There are facilities for research
work concerning the Muslim period in Oriental
studies. The Institution has published 39
volumes of Descriptive Catalogues covering
300 illustrated manuscripts. The Khuda Bakhsh
MRC concentrates mainly on documenting Urdu,
Arabic, and Persian manuscripts.
The Khuda Baksh Oriental Public Library has
been part of the Missions MCC network since
September 2003.They have identifed partner
centres and are extending assistance in preventive
and curative conservation activities. They have
provided preventive conservation for 1,69502
and curative conservation for 37033 manuscripts
folios covering 14 institutions.
Address:
Dr. Imtiaz Ahmed
Director
Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library
Ashok Rajpath
Patna800 004
Bihar
Tel: 0612 2300209
Fax: 0612 2300209
Email: [email protected]
Manuscript Library,
University of Calcuta,
Kolkata
The manuscript section of Calcuta University,
Kolkata, has been in existence right from the
inception of the University in 1857. In 1990,
the Manuscript Library of Calcuta University
became a full-fedged unit of the University
under the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic). The
Library has a collection of more than 42,000
manuscripts including quite a few on palm-
leaves, including 20,000 in Sanskrit, 12,000 in
Tibetan and Bengali and also several Persian
and Arabic manuscripts. They are in diferent
languages such as Sanskrit, Tibetan, Bangla,
Oriya, Maithili, Pali, Arabic and Persian, and
in scripts like Bengali, Oriya, Gaudi, Newari,
Malayalam and Maithili. Some manuscripts are
wrought in gold and silver letering.
The Manuscript Library joined hands
with Mission as an MCC on 26 May 2005. The
Manuscript Library MCC has evolved a good
system of storage of their collection. A space
has been allocated for laboratory and 2 staf
members have been appointed. They have
already identifed their 13 partner centres and
are extending their assistance in preventive
conservation to various institutions. They have
provided preventive conservation for
3,69,361 folios and curative conservation
for 400 manuscripts.
Address:
Prof. Ratna Basu
In-charge
Manuscript Library
Hardinge Building, 1
st
Floor
87/1, College Street, Senate House
University of Calcuta
Kolkata700073
West Bengal
Tele-fax: 033 22413763/22413222
88 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
INTACH Orissa Art Conservation
Centre, Bhubaneswar
The INTACH ICI Orissa Art Conservation Centre
started functioning in September 2003 with a
staf of 14 conservators. It is fast developing as
a specialized Centre for palm leaf manuscript
conservation. Through the year the Centre
has provided assistance to six institutions in
providing preventive and curative conservation.
It has provided conservation activities to both
palm leaf and paper manuscripts, over 6006963
palm leaf folios have received preventive
conservation through this MCC.
Address:
Mallika Mitra
INTACH ICI Orissa Art Conservation Centre
Orissa State Museum Premises
Bhubaneswar751 014 (Orissa)
Tel: 0674 2432638/Fax: 0674 2432638.
Email: [email protected]
AITIHYA, Bhubaneswar
The MOU with AITIHYA was signed on 11 May
2005. This MCC has a 4 member team to look
afer conservation activities. They have given
preventive conservation treatment to 8700 folios of
manuscripts. They have also assisted institutions
with curative conservation of manuscripts.
Address:
Mr. Arun Kumar Nayak Coordinator
Chairman
AITIHYA, A/L-5
Bhimtangi Housing Board Colony
Phase-I, Bhubaneswar 751 002
Orissa
Tel: 0680 2296131
89 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Sambalpur University,
Burla, Orissa
Sambalpur University started functioning as
an MCC from August 2004. A conservation
laboratory was set up with basic infrastructure
and basic chemicals. They have identifed their
Manuscript Conservation Partner Centres. The
emphasis was on preventive conservation and
they provided preventive conservation to 446729
folios of palm leaf manuscripts.
Address:
P.K. Nayak
Project Coordinator
Sambalpur University Library
Sambalpur University,
Burla768001 (Orissa)
Tel: 0663 2432061/2430329.
Krishna Kanta Handiqui Library,
Guwahati University,
Guwahati
In 1982 the Guwahati University Library was
renamed as Krishna Kanta Handiqui Library
afer its frst Vice Chancellor. Established
primarily to enhance and support the diferent
research programs carried out by the University,
The Guwahati University Library started its
functioning in 1948. The Library has acquired
more than 4,500 manuscripts on diferent subjects
including 5 illustrated manuscripts of the
Ramayana, Bhagwata and Lavakusha Yuddha
among others. The collection of manuscripts in
the repository is writen mostly in agaru bark.
They also have immense historic and cultural
value as representing the region of their origin.
The MCC signed an MOU with the Mission
on 3 November 2003. The institution conducted
5 outreach campaignscumworkshops in 2006.
Preventive conservation work was carried out
in several institutes. This MCC provided both,
preventive and curative conservation treatment to
a large number of Sanchipat Tulapat manuscripts.
They have provided preventive conservation for
104218 folios and curative conservation for 1682
manuscripts covering 65 institutions.
Address:
Dr. Raman Barman
Librarian
Krishna Kanta Handiqui Library
Guwahati University
Gopinath Bardolai Nagar
Guwahati781014 (Assam)
Tel: 0361 2570529/2674438,
Fax: 0361 2570133
Email: [email protected]
Rajasthan Oriental Research
Institute, Jodhpur
With a view to explore, collect, preserve, edit and
publish the ancient literature in Sanskrit, Prakrit,
Apabhramsa and Hindi-Rajasthani available
in Rajasthan and adjacent areas, the Rajasthan
Oriental Research Institute an initiative of the
Government of Rajasthan, was established as the
Sanskrit Mandal in 1950 and extended as a full-
fedged department in 1954.
It has a large reference library comprising of
26,713 rare titles and 6,000 periodicals. It has 7
branch repositories at Bikaner, Jaipur, Bharatpur,
Kota, Chitorgarh, Udaipur and Alwar. It has a
collection of 119,830 manuscripts including 1,011
illustrated manuscripts on diferent subjects like
the Veda, Dharmashastra, Itihasa, Purana, Tantra,
Mantra, Darshana, Jyotisha and Ayurveda.
The Institute has published 130 Descriptive
Catalogues and published critical editions of
more than 200 important texts.
The rich manuscript collection of the
Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute include
miniature versions with Pala, Western Indian,
Rajput, Kangra and Jammu and Kashmir schools
90 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
of painting on palm leaf, birch-bark, paper,
wood and cloth. There are excellent calligraphy
texts like Dvipatha, Tripatha and Panchpatha.
Some unique specimens are Arsha-Ramayana,
Gita Govinda (Mewar School), illuminated
Kalpasutra of VS 1485, Buddhist manuscript Arya
Mahavidya, and an illustrated Bhagavata among
others. An authenticated manuscript of Prithviraj
Raso from Dharnoj village of Gujrat and a
number of manuscripts writen profusely in gold
ink are also worth mentioning.
RORI, MCC began working with the Mission
in October 2003. The MCC is primarily involved
in preventive conservation and has a complete
laboratory to support its activities. Preventive
conservation was carried out in 16 institutions
and 349374 manuscripts received preventive
conservation treatment.
Address:
Dr. Shyamsingh Rajpurohit
Coordinator
Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute
P.W.D Road
Jodhpur 342011
Rajasthan
Tel: 0291 2430244
Digambar Jain Pandulipi
Samrakshan Kendra,
Jaipur, Rajasthan
The Digambar Jain Pandulipi Samrakshan Kendra
signed an MOU with Mission on 12 November
2004.This MCC has got a very good collection of
Jain manuscripts which are in good condition and
are stored properly. This Centre is actively involved
in preventive conservation and has done 6 publicity
campaigns to spread awareness about manuscripts
and their preservation. They also extended
their assistance in preventive conservation to
various institutions and gave treatment to 696973
manuscript folios. They are also involved in
curative conservation and have given curative
treatment to 4405 paper manuscript folios.
Address:
Dr. Kamal Chand Sogani
Director
Digambar Jain Pandulipi Samrakshan Kendra
Jain Vidya Samsthan
Digambar Jain Nasim Bhatarakji
Sawai Ramsing Road
Jaipur 302004
Rajasthan
Tel: 0141 2385247.
Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Institute of
Indology, Ahmedabad
Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Institute of Indology, one of the
largest treasure houses of manuscripts relating to
Jainism was established by Muni Shri Punyaviayji
and Shri Kasturbhai Lalbhai. The L.D. Institute has
a library consisting of nearly 45,000 printed books
nearly 75,000 manuscripts including 500 illustrated
manuscripts, covering a wide range of subjects,
like the Vedas, agamas, Buddhist religion, tantra,
systems of Indian philosophy, and poetics etc. The
institution has published 7 volumes of tabular
catalogues, representing several languages like
Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhramsa, Old Gujarati, Hindi
and Rajasthani.
This MCC is furnished with a laboratory with
basic infrastructure and two trained conservators
are currently working with the MCC. They are
at present providing preventive conservation
to their own large collection of manuscripts.
The Centre has also successfully undertaken
conservation of 58590 folios in various collections
covering 1 institutions.
Address:
Dr. Jitendra Shah
Director
91 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Institute of Indology
Navarangpur
Near Gujarat University
Ahmedabad 380 009 (Gujarat)
Tel: 079 6302463
Email: [email protected]
Bhandarkar Oriental Research
Institute, Pune
Founded in 1917, in memory of Ramakrishna
Gopal Bhandarkar, the distinguished scholar,
literateur and one of the pioneers of scientifc
Indology in India, the Bhandarkar Oriental
Research Institute has nearly 20,000 manuscripts,
covering a wide variety of subjects like religion,
languages, Vedic literature, grammar, music,
drama, purana, stotras, tantra, medicine and
philosophical systems. The Archives contains
copies of Farsi translation of the Gita and
Yogavasishtha, made by Dara Shikoh 340 years
ago, a copy of Vishnu Purana translated into
Persian by a Kashmiri Pundit, a manuscript
relating to horse-breeding writen by Qazi
Hasan Ifakhan 390 years ago, and an original
manuscript bearing the seal of the royal library of
Emperor Jehangir.
Thirtyfve volumes of Descriptive Catalogue
(covering over 12,000 manuscripts from the
Government Manuscripts Library) have been
published so far. Microflming of about over a
million folios (including those of about 4,000
un-catalogued manuscripts) was carried out at
the Institute, under the auspices of the Indira
Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi, and
completed recently.
The MCC at BORI has engaged conservators,
who well trained in preventive conservation.
Preventive conservation work covering 37500
manuscript folios has been carried out in 9
institutes. Curative conservation treatment was
conducted on 1512 folios.
Address:
Prof. Saraja Bhate
Hon. Secretary
Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
Deccan Gymkhana
Pune411037
Maharashtra
Tel: 020 25656932, Fax: 020 25661362
Email: [email protected]
Scindia Oriental Research
Institute, Ujjain
Scindia Oriental Research Institute of the Vikram
University, Ujjain was established in 1957. Apart
from the Scindia Oriental Research Institute, the
University also has an archaeological museum
and an art gallery, which are major repositories of
heritage items and artifacts.
The manuscript wealth in Scindia Oriental
Research Institute is of all languages, Sanskrit
being the most predominant. The Scindia
Oriental Institute has a rare collection of 18,000
manuscripts in paper, old palm leaf and bark leaf
(bhurja patra). The subjects are wide-ranging,
from ancient philosophy, sciences, religion,
language, grammar and the arts. There are some
rare manuscripts of heritage value such as the
illustrated manuscript of the Srimad-Bhagavatam
set in gold and silver, illustrated manuscripts
exemplifying the old Rajput and Mughal style
paintings, among others.
The Scindia Oriental Research Institute signed
an MOU with the Mission on 15 June 2006.
theemphasis of the MCC was only on Preventive
Conservation. It has provided both curative and
preventive conservation treatment to 606963 palm
leaf folios.
Address:
Dr. Balkrishna Sharma
Director
92 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Scindia Oriental Research Institute
Vikram University
Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
Tel: 0734 2515400 Fax: 0734 2514276
Email: [email protected]
The Tawang Monastery
Tawang, world-renowned for its 400-year-old
Buddhist Gopma, one of the biggest in India is
an important centre of Buddhist learning. The
gompa, also called the Galden Namgyal Lhatse,
is a faMOUs Mahayana Monastery established in
1643-47 by Lodre Gyaltso, popularly called Meera
Lama. The Gompa houses a beautifully gilded 8
metre high statue of the Buddha and a number of
equally remarkable idols, thangkas and murals.
The 3 storey, fortifed monastery is over 140
square metres and has 65 residential buildings,
chortens, lanes and by-lanes. The Duknang (main
assembly hall) has Buddha statues in various
poses, while the Parkhang hall lodges the library,
with a wealth of rare hand writen and block-
printed Thankas or manuscripts of revered books
like Tangym, Kangyur and Sungbhum and
a valuable collection of old scriptures mainly
Kanjur and Tanjur numbering 850 bundles. Some
of the manuscripts have been penned in gold.
The Tawang Monastery signed an MOU with the
Mission on 1
st
August 2006.
Address:
Secretary
Tawang Monastery,
Tawang
Dist. Arunachal Pradesh
Ph. (O) 03794-223286/223476/9436051206 (M)
Manipur State Archives
The practice of maintaining Records had been
in vogue with the advent of Art of writing in
Manipur. The Ofcial Records were maintained
in the Royal Court. Individuals also used to
maintain private records. The Manipur State
Archive was established in March, 1982, under
the directorate of social welfare, arts & culture
Government of Manipur. The aims and objects
of the State Archives ofce is to concentrate in
a single repository all the non-current records
both confdential and non-confdential as well
as the private records.
The Manipur State
Archives accessioned
the records under the
following categories i.e.
Public Records, Private
Records, Historical
Manuscripts both
in Archaic Meitei &
Bengali Scripts and Rare
books of the library.
In its valuable
collection the Manipur
State Archive also has
the Parawanas and
orders of the Manipur
Maharaja & the Political
93 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Agent in Manipur from the year, 1891 to 1947 and
the Diaries of the Manipur Political Agents and
Assistant Political Agent (18861947). The State
Archives collected and preserved many valuable
historical manuscripts in Archaic Manipuri and
few manuscripts of Bengali scripts.
The Manipur State Archive signed an MOU
with the Mission on 24 April 2006. It has provided
both curative and preventive conservation
treatment to 20,000 paln leaf folios.
Address:
Dr. H. Sarojini Devi
Director
Manipur State Archives
Washinglom Likoi,
Imphal795 001
Manipur
Tel/Fax: 03852222813/M09436021755
Sri D. K. Jain
Oriental Research Institute,
Arrah, Bihar
The Jain Sidhanta Bhawan beter known as
the Central Jain Oriental Library, Arrah was
found in 1903 by Sri Devakumar Jain, a great
scholar and philanthropist. The Library has a
valuable collection of manuscripts from all over
the world. There are 3,179 palm leaf manuscripts,
3,500 paper manuscripts which are at least 500
years old. Most prominent among the manuscript
collection are the illustrated Jain Ramayana and
the Bhaktamira. There are nearly 200 paintings
in Jain Ramayana alone in excellent Mogul and
Rajput styles.
Besides the manuscripts, the library has
9,000 published books on religion, philosophy,
history, and literature in nearly all the Indian
and some foreign languages. There is also a
collection of old paintings, pieces of art and old
coins. Among the paintings on mythological
subjects, treatment of the 16 dreams of
Chandragupta, the 16 Tirthankars and
Pawapuri temple stand out.
D. K. Jain Oriental Research Institute signed
an MOU with the Mission on 24 April 2006.
It has provided both curative and preventive
conservation treatment to 238533 folios.
Address:
Dr. Ajay Kumar Jain
Sri D. K. Jain Oriental Research Institute
Devashram, Mahadeva Road
Arrah
Bihar 802301
Visweshvarananda Biswabandhu
Institute of Sanskrit and
Indological Studies
Hoshiarpur
The Institute of Sanskrit and Indological
Studies, Hoshiarpur is an important manuscript
repository from the North-West zone of the
country. The collection of the Department
is distinctive, with manuscripts in the north
Indian and south Indian languages and scripts
pertaining to diferent subjects. They are writen
on diferent materials like birch bark, palm
leaf and hand-made paper. One of the unique
manuscripts of the Institute is a manuscript
(photocopy) titled Sancha writen in Pavuchi
script which is presently not known to be
available in any other collection. This script is
yet to be deciphered by the scholars.
The institute began working with the
Mission as an MCC from 12 April 2006. It
has provided both curative and preventive
conservation treatment to 1546 folios.
VBISIS
Indological Studies
Hoshiarpur, Punjab.
94 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010
Regional Conservation Laboratory,
Thiruvananthapuram
The Regional Conservation Laboratory was
established under the Department of Archaeology
in the year 1978 based on the scheme prepared
by the Scientifc Advisor, Department of Culture,
and Government of India. The laboratory is one
of the well-equipped laboratories in India capable
of undertaking conservation projects on a variety
of materials such as stone, metal, mural painting
etc. Deteriorated objects brought from various
Museums are subjected to scientifc examination
and treatment at the Laboratory. They include
organic as well as inorganic materials such as
manuscripts, stones, metals etc. All monuments
conservation is carried out in situ. In certain
projects the laboratory collaborates with the
National Research Laboratory for Conservation,
Lucknow, the National Museum, New Delhi, the
Indian Council of Conservation Institute and so
on. The Regional Conservation Laboratory is an
Institutional Member of the Indian Association of
the study of Conservation, New Delhi.
The MOU with the National Mission for
Manuscripts was signed on 27 April 2006. They
are carrying out the work on preventive as well as
curative conservation simultaneously in several
institutions all over southern Kerala.They have a
well established laboratory of their own and also
have trained conservators to carry out the work in
several institutes.
It has provided both curative and preventive
conservation treatment to 50322 folios covering 20
institutions.
Address:
Dr. K. K. Mahanam Pillai
Conservation Ofcer
Regional Conservation Lab
Coton Hill, Vazhuthacaud
Sasthamangalam P. O.
Thiruvananthapuram. Pin.695 010
Phone: 0471 27256351
Central Library, Benaras Hindu
University
The Banaras Hindu University Library system,
the largest University Library System in the
country, germinated from a small but precious
collection donated by Prof. P.K. Telang in the
memory of his father Justice K.T. Telang in 1917
and housed in the Telang Hall of the Central
Hindu College, Kamachha. It was nurtured
in its infancy by the renowned historian Sir
Jadunath Sarkar. With the University taking
shape at its present premises, the library was
also shifed in 1921 to the Central Hall of the
Arts College (now Faculty of Arts) and then
in 1941 to its present majestic building built
with the munifcent donation from Maharaja
Sayajirao Gaekwad of Baroda, on the patern
of the great library British Museum in London
on the suggestion of Pandit Madan Mohan
Malaviya, the founder of university, afer his
return from the Round Table Conference,
London in 1931. Its majestic circular Central
Hall has been furnished with elegant furnitures
made of faMOUs and rare variety of Burma
Teak woods.
The MOU with the National Mission for
Manuscripts was signed on 23 November 2006.
They are carrying out the work on preventive
as well as curative conservation simultaneously
in several institutions all over the region. It
has provided both curative and preventive
conservation treatment to 1, 86,101 folios.
Address:
Dr. D. K. Singh
Central Library
Benaras Hindu University
Varanasi221005
FUTURE PLANS
Continued training programs on preservation and conservation
Strengthening of pool of resource persons
Intensifying eorts at digitization
Publication of unpublished manuscripts
Location of Indian manuscripts in: UK, France, Belgium, Germany, U.S.A,
Canada, Australia, Thailand, Korea, Malaysia, Japan, China, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Nepal
Eorts to be made to obtain copies of manuscripts through direct contact
with repositories

98 National Mission for Manuscripts | Annual Report 20092010