Guwahati, Aug 4 (PTI) Amid the devastating floods in Assam, Gauhati University on Tuesday said it has launched a conservation drive to salvage invaluable ‘Sanchipat’ manuscripts damaged by floodwaters in Sivasagar district.
Among the rare manuscripts currently undergoing restoration are an approximately 300-year-old Ramayana, a 263-year-old manuscript of Kirtan and Dasham, each carrying exceptional historical and cultural significance, the University said.
Those manuscripts, made of treated bark of the ‘sanchi’ or agarwood tree, were kept at Shri Shri Gajala Satra at Medhijan in Sivasagar, where flood water entered recently.
The Satra was founded in the 18th century as a centre for the propagation of Assamese Neo-Vaishnavite culture and philosophy The varsity in a statement said that a dedicated team of experts from the University, led by Medini Mohan Gogoi of the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies and Dhanjit Talukdar of the Manuscript section of Krishna Kanta Handique Library, is working to recover, conserve and protect several rare manuscripts.
As part of the restoration process, the team is carefully separating, cleaning and chemically treating individual pages at the historic Shri Shri Gajala Satra in Medhijan to prevent further fungal damage caused by prolonged exposure to floodwaters, it added.
The manuscripts being conserved include Kirtan, Bhakti Ratnavali, Bhakti Premawali, Charit-Puthis, Kathasar and other texts representing Assam’s spiritual, literary and historical heritage.
Speaking on the initiative, GU Vice Chancellor Nani Gopal Mahanta said, “Manuscripts are not merely written records of the past; they are living testimonies to Assam’s knowledge traditions, civilisation, culture and identity. Preserving these invaluable treasures is our moral, academic and social responsibility.” By conserving these precious manuscripts, Gauhati University is taking a significant step towards ensuring that this body of knowledge is preserved for generations to come, building a lasting bridge between Assam’s glorious past and its future, he added.
In the latest wave of floods, widespread devastation occurred in Sivasagar and Charaideo districts, leaving at least 87 people dead. PTI TR NN
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