Preserving Manuscripts Key to Safeguarding India’s Civilisational Heritage: Expert

Bhubaneswar: Stressing the importance of preserving the nation’s intellectual and cultural legacy, noted manuscriptologist and former Director of the National Mission for Manuscripts, Prafulla Kumar Mishra on Monday said manuscripts and ancient texts serve as some of the most authentic records of India’s civilisational heritage and collective memory.

He was speaking at the inauguration of a ten-day workshop on Manuscriptology organised by the Odisha Virtual Academy in Bhubaneswar. Emphasising the significance of manuscript preservation, Dr. Mishra said the responsibility of safeguarding, studying and researching these invaluable resources rests with society as a whole.

Chairing the programme, Pradeep Kumar Rout said the workshop aims to promote identification, survey, preservation, digitisation, descriptive cataloguing, editing, publication and research of manuscript resources. He noted that such initiatives are essential for preserving India’s rich knowledge traditions for future generations.

Delivering the keynote address, eminent manuscript scholar Harekrushna Mishra highlighted the role of manuscripts in understanding and advancing India’s traditional knowledge systems. He observed that the workshop seeks not only to familiarise participants with manuscripts but also to strengthen manuscript studies as a structured academic discipline.

Providing an overview of the academic content of the programme, Bibhuti Bhushan Mahapatra, who is serving as the course director, said participants will receive training in manuscriptology, paleography, codicology, textual decipherment, textual criticism, critical editing, preparation of descriptive catalogues, digital preservation and research methodology.

The workshop has drawn participation from more than 60 teachers, researchers and students representing universities and colleges across Odisha. Over the next ten days, renowned scholars and experts from various disciplines will conduct technical sessions and hands-on training programmes.

Senior Manager of the Odisha Virtual Academy, Smruti Ranjan Mishra proposed the vote of thanks. The programme was coordinated by Debananda Bhanja, with support from Srinivas Mishra and other technical experts.

The organisers expressed hope that the workshop would encourage greater academic engagement with manuscripts and contribute to the preservation and dissemination of Odisha’s and India’s rich documentary heritage.