E-Paper
INTACH docs curing Jain temple manuscripts
THE INDIAN COUNCIL of Conservation Institutes (INTACH) has taken up the task of conserving lakhs of Jain manuscripts (religious books) with the help of Jain religious institutes. The project covers the entire country. However, for now the local Jain temples have been taken up on priority basis.
THE INDIAN COUNCIL of Conservation Institutes (INTACH) has taken up the task of conserving lakhs of Jain manuscripts (religious books) with the help of Jain religious institutes. The project covers the entire country. However, for now the local Jain temples have been taken up on priority basis.
In the city alone, the institute has given a preventive and curative treatment to the manuscripts. Over 2,000 manuscripts from Chudhiwali Gali Jain Temple in Chowk, about 150 manuscripts in Yahiyaganj Jain Temple, 100-odd from Sadatganj Jain Temple, and 43 from Barabanki Jain Temple have already been given preventive and curative treatment.
INTACH director general Om Prakash Agrawal said the effort was unique in itself owing to the number of manuscripts involved in it. “After the conservation of Sikh religious books, this is one of the major efforts by the institute,” he added.
The project is being handled in association with the religious institutes of Jains- Bharatvarshi Digambar Jain (Shrut Samvardhini) Mahasabha, and Akhil Bharatiya Teertha Kshetra Committee. “These institutes have a lot of say in religious matters, and it with their help and financial support the work of conservation of manuscripts was on,” said the DG. Usha Agrawal and Mamta Mishra are the directors for the project. The project, which was started about a year ago, would go a long way as there were over a million manuscripts from all over the country to be conserved, stated Agrawal.
Some of the main activities in preventive methods are; cleaning up storages and dry brushing of manuscripts. “These are mostly done at the temples, while the curative part is dealt at the laboratory of the INTACH,” informed the DG. Director of the Project Usha Agrawal said that the temple authorities are given lectures regularly on measures for conserving manuscripts.
As regards curative methods the steps adopted are de-acidification, removing of stains caused due to ink, ghee or smoke, and removing fungus. In a day about 40 to 50 manuscripts are conserved. So far largest number of manuscripts have been found in Nagaur Jain temple in Rajasthan, about 15,000.
The Director General informed that a Digital Libraries of the content of the manuscripts are in the offing for the benefit of the scholars. The library would enable the scholars to get the requisite material at one place. Two digital libraries have been planned at Lucknow and Jaipur. Since the process of conservation of manuscripts is a costly affair, INTACH, apart from taking financial help from the Jain religious institutes was also getting aid from INTACH UK Trust, National Mission for Manuscripts, etc.
