Varsity effort to preserve old manuscripts

Gaurav Das, TNN | Feb 6, 2012, 02.47AM IST

Ref:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/Varsity-effort-to-...

GUWAHATI: With 189 awareness campaigns and 92 conservation programmes in its fold, Gauhati University's KK Handique Library is on a mission to conserve and salvage as many old and precious manuscripts in the state. The library has 8.5 lakh books, magazines, and journals in its collection - the highest in Assam - in addition to about 5,000 priceless manuscripts, some of which are more than 300 years old.

The valuable manuscripts have been collected through different means - some were donated by benevolent citizens, some were acquired from past owners, and others were salvaged after search and rescue efforts undertaken by the library. The scripts were meticulously detailed, numbered and preserved using modern scientific techniques and processes.

"The preservation and conservation of these manuscripts have been a long and arduous journey. We are pursuing this conservation effort in collaboration with National Mission for Manuscriptwhich was formed under the aegis of the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. We had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NMM and it helped create a platform for the preservation of our history and heritage," said Wooma Sankar Dev Nath, librarian and co-ordinator, KKHL Manuscript Resource/Conservation Centre National Mission for Manuscripts.

Nath added: "We are trying to preserve the manuscripts physically through scientific terms and usages and also conduct workshops in which experts are called in for preservation. We have recorded almost 1.5 lakh pages of manuscripts and have made a database so that they can be accessed easily. We also give a certificate of acknowledgement to those who have donated manuscripts."

According to the librarian, a team is trained and sent to survey the possible places where rare manuscripts could be found. "There have been many instances where people have been deprived of their own valuable possessions. To maintain the trust with people is important. Many priceless manuscripts have been lost due to some irrational fear of people, and whenever we get to hear of such instances we organise a survey and awareness campaigns. Two of the manuscripts: Ratna Mala Biyakaran and Chitra Bhagawat were exhibited at the Frankfurt Book Fair some years ago. Kumar Haran, Bhagawad Shlokas, Mantar Puthi, Jyotish Puthi and Auyrvedic Puthis are also in our collection, along with some texts on magical rituals from Mayong. We use de-humidity techniques, optimisser, fumigation process etc to preserve it," added Nath.