Academy launches Mission Manuscripts from Jammu

Jammu April 15: To save most valuable cultural inheritance, the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages launched a new mission to catalogue and preserve rare manuscripts of all the regions of the State in Jammu. This first ever Mission has been launched to collect data on Manuscripts housed in a variety of places, including Shrines, Temples, Matthas, Madrasas, Monasteries and Private Collections.

Giving details Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, Secretary, State Academy of Art, Culture and languages told here today that our “Mission for Manuscripts” is a prestigious project to catalog State’s ancient documentary wealth and ensure that basic conservation practices are followed to halt their rapid decay. The main objective of the project is digitalization, microfilming and cataloguing of J&K’s Manuscripts wealth by using latest available technology at global level, he added.

He said that we have the largest repository of manuscripts in the Northern India, with an estimated 20 thousand texts in dozens of languages. He added that Academy will involve Writers and religious scholars in this adventurous hunt for ancient volumes in order to use it not only to expertise but also social skills, coaxing and cultural sensitivity to gain access to wonderful Manuscripts.

Zaffar said we have 5000 year history at our back that is why the oldest manuscripts that India possesses are a set of sixth century Buddhist texts that were found buried in the hills of Kashmir about 60 years ago. Our researchers have found rare ancient Sanskrit, Tibetan, Arabic and Persian treatises on such subjects as diabetes, astrophysics, interpretation of dreams, surgical instruments, concepts of time and the art of war, we want to catalog and preserve the same for all generations to come, He added .

He said, after hunt we would promote and facilitate research and scholarship based on Manuscripts and the wealth of knowledge that lies therein.

He said under this mission we will enhance the access to the manuscripts, improve awareness about cultural inheritance and encourage the use of manuscripts for educational and research purpose and lifelong learning; and also provide conservation and preservation of manuscripts through training, awareness and financial support.

In addition to this, we are going to document and catalogue manuscripts, wherever they may be, maintain accurate and up-to-date information about them and the conditions under which they may be consulted and to promote ready access to these manuscripts through publication, both in book form as well as machine readable form, Zaffar said.

He said the Academy has its manuscripts library at Srinagar housing about 700 rare manuscripts on history, music, medicine, religion, astronomy , and other subjects, some of them more then thousand year old written on birch barrack. To preserve and conserve such rare manuscripts we have state of the art scientific laboratory and acquired fumigation chambers for their upkeep and maintenance. We have specially designed fire proof chambers and locker for their safety.

He impressed upon private collectors, Shrines, temples, matthas, Madrasas, monasteries to register their manuscripts with Academy. We will provide free consultations and hailing touches for preservation of such manuscripts. (NAK)