National Manuscript Mission

National Mission for Manuscripts is an initiative started by the government of India, to preserve the ancient knowledge of India. Please help, if you can. Here are the steps to be done to preserve the wealth of India. Please read through and familiarize yourself. As Swami Vivekananda said, whoever tries to bring the glorious past to the door of every Hindu is a great contributor to this nation, you could be one of them.

Why a Mission for Manuscripts?

·         India has a largest collection of manuscripts in the world.

·         Composed in different Indian languages and scripts, they covers religion, philosophy, science, arts and literature .

·         Preserved in materials such as birch bark, palm leaf, cloth, wood, stone and paper, they are spread all over the country and abroad.

·         Some of this wealth has disappeared , while a large portion is in a state of damage and decay.

·         India’s manuscripts wealth has to be preserved and redeemed.

What needs to be done

·  Take great care in handling manuscripts.

·  Clean manuscript folios carefully with a brush or cloth.

·  Attach wooden supports of a slightly little bigger size on either side of the palm leaf manuscript, wrap in cloth (preferably red in colour and tie evenly with cotton string).

·  During rainy season control fungal growth with the help of silica gel.

·  During summer use khas khas mats, outside windows and sprinkle water on them frequently.

·  For preventing insect attack, keep insect repellents like Napthaline, Para Dichloro Benzene in small cloth sachets. Use natural products like neem leaves, cinchona in the cupboard.

·  Take out the manuscripts at least once in a few months, air them for some time, brush if necessary and replace them in the cupboard.

·  If the palm-leaf or paper manuscript is in a damage or deteriorated condition, get in touch with Manuscripts Conservation Centre near your area for restoration treatment

What should not be done

1.      Exposure to direct sunlight.

2.      Stacking manuscripts one over the other.

3.      Using cellotapes or lamination for repair.