October 2005 23 Kriti Rakshana Kriti

final newsletter.qxd 12/5/06 5:23 PM Page II “One of our major misfortunes is that we have lost so much of the world’s ancient literature – in Greece, in India and elsewhere... Probably an organized search for old manuscripts in the libraries of religious institutions, monasteries and private persons would yield rich results. That, and the critical examination of these manuscripts and, where considered desirable, their publication and translation, are among the many things we have to do in India when we succeed in breaking through our shackles and can function for ourselves. Such a study is bound to throw light on many phases of Indian history and especially on the social background behind historic events and changing ideas.” Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, The Discovery of India Editor: Neha Paliwal Design: Alpana Khare Graphic Design fgUnh laiknd % izHkkr dqekj nkl Cover image: Folios from Sadaivacha Savalingari Vrata, a manuscript presently Publisher's details: Mission Director in the collection of Rajasthan Oriental National Mission for Manuscripts Research Institute, Jodhpur. No. 5, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Road New Delhi 110 001 Print: Azure Press Tel: +91 11 23383894 Email: [email protected] National Mission for Manuscripts is an Website: www.namami.nic.in undertaking of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. final newsletter.qxd 12/5/06 5:23 PM Page 1 From the Editor Contents The first issue of Kriti Rakshana, published two 1. Digital Restoration 2 months ago, received a warm response from readers Anurag Arora across the country, and for this we would like to thank you all. In that issue, among other articles, we had 2. Travelogue – also outlined some of the concerns that NMM is In Search of Manuscripts in Manipur 5 constantly addressing with regard to manuscripts, for Gitanjali Surendran instance survey and documentation as well as increasing public awareness and participation in 3. nks nqyZHk xzaFkksa dk leq)kj 8 manuscript heritage. Jitender B. Shah In this second issue of Kriti Rakshana, therefore, we 4. Profile – Mahamahopadhayaya have attempted to discuss other aspects of heritage Gopinath Kaviraj 10 management, as it relates to manuscripts – digitization of manuscripts and conservation of manuscripts. 5. The Story of Ink 12 Readers who find themselves fascinated by tales of Neeraja Gopi serendipitous occurrences will probably find the anecdotes from Gujarat, related by Dr. Jitubhai Shah, 6. Institution in Focus – very satisfying. As for Siribhuvalaya, the text in focus Oriental Research Institute, Mysore 15 this time, we would like to mention that as Dr. H.R. Nagaraja Sharma astonishing as the form and the idea of text itself are, it is even more interesting to note that such texts also 7. Tracing Manuscripts on Medicine– exist in other regions of India such as Gujarat. Seminar on "Saving India’s Medical Manuscripts" 19 We request you to send us your feedback on this Dr. Sudha Gopalakrishnan publication at our mailing address. I would also like to mention that if you know of any such Institution, 8. Heritage Watch – Islamic Manuscript manuscript repository or educational organization that Conference, July 2005 21 does not receive Kriti Rakshana, NMM’s free bi- Dr. Imtiaz Ahmad monthly publication, but would be interested in doing so, please let us know at the following address – NMM, No. 5, Rajendra Prasad Road, New Delhi – Other 110001 or at our website www.namami.nic.in . You could also e-mail us at [email protected]. Focus on Text – Siribhuvalaya 18 Dr. M.A. Lakshmithathachar Quiz 20 Neha Paliwal Summary of Events: July - October 2005 23 Kriti Rakshana Kriti National Mission for Manuscripts 1 final newsletter.qxd 12/5/06 5:23 PM Page 2 Digital Restoration Anurag Arora A tremendous quantity of information in various solution is to limit or discontinue public access formats is created daily through various media to the originals and offer an alternative way of and it is becoming increasingly difficult to accessing them. One of the tried and tested ways remain orientated in this flood of information of doing this is through the use of computer without the help of computer technology. In technology that enables the digitization of fact, the issue of effective consumption of manuscripts. information is presently more relevant than its The need to increase accessibility and prevent longevity and has not been addressed the disintegration of manuscripts clearly makes comprehensively so far. As common sense for the digitization of manuscripts an urgent indicates, the more the information created, the case. The next step would be to understand the less assured is its longevity. This dilemma process of digitization. The conditions for necessitates a process of selection; some digitization are outlined below. information must be prioritized and its existence ensured, even while other kinds of information Conditions for Implementation are sidelined. Digitization is a process that tries to replace the For those working in the heritage arena, this original manuscript with a facsimile. In order to raises an important question: What information make this facsimile acceptable and to decrease from this gigantic output needs to be preserved the use of originals in a radical manner, it is for future generations? To preserve all of it necessary to comply with the following basic would be technologically impossible. A point to conditions: be kept in mind when talking about information 1. Quality of digitization from the distant past, information that is High-quality digitization of basic image frequently unique, is that it is possible that its data is the most significant requirement. loss will be definitive and irrevocable. Clear visuals and readability of the data National Mission for Manuscripts was must be ensured. established on the premise that society and the government have the responsibility to preserve 2. Applicability information about the country’s history and to Data must be made available in a reasonable make it accessible to future generations. It aims amount of time and the hardware and to stimulate a responsible approach to sources software enabling the work with the digital from which our historical consciousness grows facsimile must be easily accessible. The and to contribute to the general availability of hardware should be affordable so as to information about our history, culture and require minimum funds from the budgets of indigenous knowledge systems. This mission, libraries. therefore, aims to initiate and support the safeguarding of existing documents. 3. User-friendliness While it is heartening to note that interest in Users must be able and willing to accept the old manuscripts and their aesthetic and scientific digital facsimile. The software should be value is growing by the day, it is also worth easy to use and must include multiple stressing that public access to old manuscripts options to ensure that the data can be and archive holdings causes a substantially viewed in every way that the users would Kriti Rakshana Kriti quicker disintegration of these originals. The want to view it in. 2 National Mission for Manuscripts final newsletter.qxd 12/5/06 5:23 PM Page 3 Goals of Digitization material that the manuscript is composed on is The reasons for implementing a digitization itself a carrier of interesting and vital information. project, or more precisely for digital conversion Even very little damage caused to that material of non-digital source material, are varied. The results in an irrecoverable loss of information. The decision to digitize may be in order to: matter contained in the manuscript needs to be • Increase access: this is the most obvious understood and defined. This is the information and primary reason, where there is a high that the scribe wanted to communicate to the demand from users and the library or source reader of the manuscript. Today we could say that has the desire to improve access to a it is the basic image data but when the manuscript specific collection. was written the scribe wanted to transmit certain • Improve services to an expanding users information by underlining or embellishing it. group by providing enhanced access to the The importance and relevance of the information institution’s resources with respect to needs to be realised and the manuscript education. accordingly selected for digitization. • Reduce the handling and use of fragile or heavily used original material and create a National Mission for Manuscripts backup copy of endangered material. and Digitization However, it should be emphasized once again India has perhaps one of the oldest and largest that the originals are irreplaceable, and therefore collections of manuscripts in the world. These access to them should be limited as quickly and manuscripts are in different languages and scripts in as many sources as possible. and are written on different materials, such as birch bark, palm leaf, cloth, paper etc. They are Selection of Manuscripts for Digitization in the custody of libraries, museums, madrasas, Given that a good facsimile requires high quality monasteries, mutts and individuals. A significant and user-friendliness, the process itself is quite proportion is not preserved scientifically. Experts costly - in both manpower and monetary terms. estimate that almost all palm leaf manuscripts It is inevitable therefore that it be a selective may perish due to wear and tear over the next process. In India alone, NMM has estimated that fifty or hundred years. In this regard the there are more than five million manuscripts. National Mission for Manuscripts has taken the Since the digitization of each of these is almost first step to save some of the most valuable impossible, there is a need to limit the focus to a representatives of our cultural inheritance. few very significant collections that are NMM has started a pilot project for digitizing threatened by disintegration.

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