Under the auspices of the Gyan Bharatam Cluster Center, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, the five-day National Workshop-cum-Training Program on Preventive Conservation of Manuscripts was launched at The Asiatic Society in Kolkata. The goal of the workshop was to raise awareness and develop capacity for the conservation and preservation of India’s priceless manuscript heritage.

The inaugural session started with the chanting of Vedic hymns, followed by the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by eminent guests like Lt. Col. Anant Sinha, Administrator, The Asiatic Society, Shri Kajal Bhattacharya, Joint Director of Archaeology and Museums, Government of West Bengal and Nodal Officer, Gyan Bharatam, Dr. Pritam Gurey, Librarian, The Asiatic Society, and Shri Arupratan Bagchi, Administrative Officer, The Asiatic Society.

Lt. Col. Anant Sinha welcomed the participants and guests, outlined the goals of the Gyan Bharatam Mission, and underlined the significance of conserving the country’s documentary legacy. He urged everyone to actively participate in this important project.

Shri Pankaj Kumar Mishra, Section Officer, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, spoke to the online gathering, praising the organizers’ efforts and emphasizing the value of public involvement in preserving cultural heritage. The Gyan Bharatam Vertical Head (Conservation & Capacity Building), Dr. Kirti Srivastava, also participated virtually and discussed the five verticals of the Gyan Bharatam Mission, with a focus on conservation and preservation initiatives.

Prof. (Dr.) Ratna Basu, a former head and professor of the University of Calcutta’s Department of Sanskrit, gave the keynote speech. Environmental risks, storage systems, furniture, preservation tools, herbal materials, manuscript care, and conservation tools were just a few of the topics she covered.

The Asiatic Society’s librarian, Dr. Pritam Gurey, urged attendees to actively participate in the workshop sessions and use the conservation strategies they had learned to successfully protect manuscripts at their individual institutions.

Prominent academics and specialists participated in the first day’s academic sessions. Prof. (Dr.) Tapati Mukhopadhyay, former Vice-Chancellor of Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, delivered a lecture on “The Asiatic Society and Its Collection of Manuscripts”. Dr. Simonti Sen, Director, Directorate of State Archives, Government of West Bengal, spoke on “Difference between Handwritten Manuscripts and Printing Processes”.

Dr. Vandana Singh, Visiting Faculty at the Indian Institute of Heritage and Director of Kala Sampada, gave a lecture on “Familiarization of Manuscripts with Materials (Organic, Inorganic and Composite)”. Her talk focused on the various material components of manuscripts and the need for their conservation.

A guided tour of the Asiatic Society Museum was provided to participants and resource people as part of the program. The visit was led by Dr. Keka Adhikari Banerjee, Curator, who showcased the institution’s rich collections. The guests were also guided by Shri Sudip Haldar, Center Coordinator, Gyan Bharatam Cluster Center, Smt. Sriparna Nath Chakraborty, Conservator, and Dr. Joydeb Dey, Cataloguer. They described the significance of the rare artifacts that the Society has preserved, including manuscripts, inscriptions, paintings, scripts, and inks.

The event ended on a very positive note, motivating participants to actively support the Gyan Bharatam Mission and the greater goal of safeguarding India’s manuscript legacy for coming generations.

Priyanka Dutta