Rajahmundry: The National Co-ordinator of National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM), New Delhi, N.C. Kar, has said that location and documentation of rare manuscripts would be useful in near future.

He said that preserving, digitalising manuscripts is the second phase of the NMM and they will complete the mission within the stipulated five years time.

Speaking to The Hindu on Sunday after participating in costal districts manuscripts surveyors meeting in Rajahmundry, Mr. Kar said that they have completed locating and documenting rare

Manuscripts in States like Orissa, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. He said that they have started the survey in Tamil Nadu, Assam, Tripura, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh and will complete with the help of district co-coordinator and surveyors before February 24. After locating manuscripts in these States, the NMM will take up documentation with the help of scholars in those areas. He said that they have located 50 lakh manuscripts in the country and five lakh in Andhra Pradesh.

Replying to a question, Mr. Kar said that they have preserved rare manuscripts including palm leaves on ancient medical practices which have contemporary values, ship breaking know how, construction of monuments and other ancient method of practices in different fields.

The NMM co-coordinator said that they have collected one million databases in their Delhi headquarters and expect to collect one more million by the end of this year.

Mr. Kar clarified that the manuscripts were being collected only for digitalising and preserving the data and would be returned.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail