Preserving India's Intellectual Heritage

BRC Manuscripts Mission – Field Trips

Unearthing and preserving the precious wisdom hidden in ancient manuscripts spread across remote corners of India.

The mission of saving Indian intellectual heritage at Bhaktivedanta Research Center is to unearth and preserve the precious wisdom hidden in its ancient manuscripts and books spread across the remote corners of the country. This purpose is in line with that of the National Mission for Manuscripts which was established in February 2003, by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Government of India.

India possesses an estimate of ten million manuscripts, probably the largest collection in the world. These cover a variety of themes, textures and aesthetics, scripts, languages, calligraphies, illuminations and illustrations. Only 3.3% of these manuscripts have been digitized and the rest are likely to become extinct unless a serious effort is made to conserve them.

Hence we see our effort as a logical, radical and urgent response to a very contemporary challenge – of reclaiming the inheritance contained in manuscripts, often in a poor state of preservation neglected for decades and in very poor physical state – insect ridden, fungus infected or brittle, fading and fragile.

Manuscript Categories

Sahitya

Vyakarana

Vedanta

Vaidya

Agama

Tantra

Nyaya

Mantra Sastra

BRC Achievement: Over a thousand manuscripts preserved digitally and around seventy physical manuscripts, with most content in Sanskrit using Bengali and Oriya scripts.

10 Million

Manuscripts in India

3.3%

Manuscripts in India

1,000+

BRC Digitized

Mission Objectives

Surveying

Surveying and collecting manuscripts from remote locations across the Indian subcontinent.

Conserving

Conserving manuscripts in their original form using specialized preservation techniques.

Digitizing

Digitizing manuscripts to ensure their preservation and accessibility for future generations.

Outreach

Conducting outreach programmes and awareness camps to promote manuscript preservation.

BRC Kolkata's Impact

BRC Kolkata’s proactive initiatives have helped conduct over fifty manuscript missions across the Indian subcontinent. Owing to its dedicated infrastructure for preserving fragile materials, the BRC Kolkata has received numerous manuscripts as donations. It now has over a thousand manuscripts preserved digitally and around seventy physical manuscripts.

This treasure trove of manuscripts has content on a wide-range of subjects including Sahitya, Vyakarana, Vedanta, Vaidya, Agama, Tantra, Nyaya and Mantra Sastra. Most of the manuscripts are in Sanskrit language and the scripts are chiefly in Bengali and Oriya. Some of the texts in the manuscripts are also accompanied by commentaries. A sizable percentage of manuscripts are classified as rare.

Preservation Infrastructure

BRC Kolkata has a temperature-controlled room, fumigation chamber and a fire-proof cabinet to preserve them safely. Some of the fragile manuscripts have also been preserved on zinc-plates.

Field Visits & Preservation Efforts

2011

50+ Visits

Libraries, Temples, Homes

Since its inception in 2011, the Manuscript Mission team at BRC has visited over 50 locations, including libraries, temples, śrīpāṭas, and private homes in remote areas across the Indian subcontinent. The team includes an archivist who deciphers and catalogs the manuscripts, a reprographer who digitizes them, and two assistants who help with physical preservation and digital cataloging.

Cleaning

Manuscripts are first cleaned with a soft brush

Cataloging

Deciphered and cataloged with details of name, size, location, year, language, and material

Preservation

Covered with deacidified paper and starched red cloth to protect against pests

Visit Locations

Libraries

Public and private manuscript collections

Temples & Śrīpāṭas

Sacred spaces with ancient texts

Private Homes

Family collections in remote areas