Customs Department Returns Seized Palm Leaf Manuscripts to ASI

Bhubaneswar: The Customs Department, in collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), facilitated the return of palm leaf and paper manuscripts on Thursday. Sanjay Pant, the Principal Chief Commissioner of GST, Central Excise, and Customs for the Bhubaneswar zone, officially handed over these manuscripts to ASI representatives in a virtual ceremony attended by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

These valuable manuscripts were confiscated in 2019 and 2020 during attempted exports to Spain and France, respectively, as stated by Pant. The palm leaf manuscript, containing 155 leaves and robust wooden covers on both sides, features a classical Champu composition in modern Odia script and language, believed to date back to the 19th or 20th century. Champu is a significant element in Odissi music.

The paper manuscript, consisting of 17 leaves crafted from handmade paper, contains Buddhist texts written in the Devanagari script. The return of these manuscripts marks a collaborative effort to preserve and protect cultural heritage, preventing their unauthorized export.