Guwahati: Gauhati University has launched a scientific conservation drive to restore rare Sanchipat manuscripts damaged in the recent floods at the historic Medhijan Shri Shri Gajala Satra in Assam’s Sivasagar district.
A specialised team led by Medini Mohan Gogoi of the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies and Dhanjit Talukdar of the Manuscript Section of the Krishna Kanta Handiqui Library is carrying out the restoration.
The team is separating, cleaning and chemically treating individual manuscript pages to prevent further deterioration and fungal infestation caused by prolonged exposure to floodwaters.
The restoration covers several rare Sanchipat manuscripts, including Kirtan, Bhakti Ratnavali, Bhakti Premawali, various Charit-Puthis, Kathasar and other texts documenting Assam’s literary, spiritual and historical traditions.
Among the manuscripts undergoing restoration are an approximately 300-year-old manuscript of the Ramayana, a 263-year-old manuscript of Kirtan, and the Dasham, all considered important repositories of Assam’s cultural and intellectual heritage.
The initiative is being undertaken under the leadership of Gauhati University Vice-Chancellor Nani Gopal Mahanta as part of the university’s ongoing efforts to conserve, research and restore Assam’s manuscript collections, Sanchipat archives and other traditional knowledge resources.
Mahanta said manuscripts are not merely historical documents but records of Assam’s knowledge traditions, civilisation, culture and identity. He said preserving them is an academic, social and moral responsibility, adding that heritage conservation is essential to safeguarding the state’s history and collective identity for future generations.
Established in the 18th century, Medhijan Shri Shri Gajala Satra houses a collection of manuscripts documenting Assam’s literary traditions, religious philosophy, historical narratives and intellectual heritage. The university said the scientific restoration initiative aims to preserve the flood-damaged manuscripts for future generations.