States » EastPosted at: Nov 4 2026 2:51PM


Visva-Bharati begins digitisation of thousands of rare manuscripts under Gyan Bharatam Project

Santiniketan, Nov 4 (UNI) In a major step towards preserving India's literary and cultural heritage, Visva-Bharati University has commenced comprehensive digitisation of thousands of rare ancient manuscripts housed at its Lipika Manuscriptorium (Lipika Puthisala).
Atig Ghosh, official spokesperson of Visva-Bharati University, and Professor Sisir Sahana, in-charge of the Lipika Manuscriptorium and Principal of Kala Bhavana, have officially shared the information with union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi and Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar.
The preservation work began immediately after the Puja holidays. The initiative is being undertaken under the centrally sponsored 'Gyan Bharatam' project, a nationwide mission spearheaded by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, to map, document and digitally archive the country's vast manuscript heritage.
Significantly, the digitisation work comes at no financial cost to Visva-Bharati University. A specialised team of archival experts from the Asiatic Society has taken charge of the operation, providing free technical expertise. The university's Public Relations Officer-in-Charge confirmed that the collaboration would facilitate the digitisation of the institution's rare manuscripts without placing any additional financial burden on its academic budget.
The Lipika Manuscriptorium houses a rare collection of historical manuscripts, archival documents and research materials used primarily by scholars, students and historians. It is renowned for its repository of several thousand ancient manuscripts in various classical and regional languages. The ongoing digitisation drive covers texts written in Sanskrit, Bengali, Odia and Tamil, among others. These centuries-old documents encompass a wide range of subjects, including classical literature, ancient philosophy, comparative religion and regional cultural history.
Academic experts note that creating high-resolution digital copies of these fragile texts will greatly benefit researchers worldwide by providing easier access to rare source materials. The project will also help safeguard India's historical and intellectual heritage from physical deterioration, ensuring its preservation for future generations.
The initiative follows a recent announcement by Visva-Bharati University Vice-Chancellor Professor Prabir Kumar Ghosh that the university was finalising plans to digitise its manuscript collection. Following the announcement, the technical team began operations within a few days. Given the volume and fragile condition of the documents, experts from the Asiatic Society estimate that the scanning, indexing and digital cataloguing process will continue over the next few months, VBU sources said.
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